The Italian Armed Forces encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and are also involved in missions and operations abroad as a combat force. Despite not being a branch of the armed forces, the Guardia di Finanza has military status and is organized along military lines. These five forces comprise a total of 341,250 men and women with the official status of active military personnel, of which 165,500 are in the Army, Navy and Air Force. The President of the Italian Republic heads the armed forces as the President of the High Council of Defence established by article 87 of the Constitution of Italy. According to article 78, the Parliament has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the necessary powers in the Government.
Lieutenant general is a three-star military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general.
The Italian Air Force is the air force of the Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by King Victor Emmanuel III as the Regia Aeronautica. After World War II, when Italy became a republic following a referendum, the Regia Aeronautica was given its current name. Since its formation, the service has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history. The acrobatic display team is the Frecce Tricolori.
A commander-in-chief or supreme commander is the person who exercises supreme command and control over armed forces or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state or a head of government.
The United Kingdom's Strategic Command, previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services.
The Italian order of precedence is fixed by Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers (D.P.C.M.) of April 14, 2006 and of April 16, 2008. It is a hierarchy of officials in the Italian Republic used to direct protocol. The President, being head of state, is first, and the Prime Minister, the head of government, is fourth.
- The President of the Republic
- (Cardinals and princes of reigning dynasties - these officers cannot preside over the ceremony)
- The President of the Senate of the Republic
- The President of the Chamber of Deputies
- The Prime Minister
- The President of the Constitutional Court
- Former President of the Republic
- Vice Presidents of the Senate of the Republic
- Roberto Calderoli
- Ignazio La Russa
- Paola Taverna
- Anna Rossomando
- Vice Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies
- Maria Edera Spadoni
- Ettore Rosato
- Fabio Rampelli
- Andrea Mandelli
- The Vice President of the Council of Ministers (Vacant)
- Vice Presidents of the Constitutional Court
- Daria de Pretis
- Nicolò Zanon
- Silvana Sciarra
- Ministers of the Republic
- Judges of the Constitutional Court
- Presidents of Regions
- The First President of the Supreme Court of Cassation
- The President of the National Council for Economics and Labour
- Deputy Ministers of the Republic
- Quaestors of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, in order of seniority
- Presidents of Parliamentary Commissions
- The President of the Council of State
- The President of the Court of Accounts
- The Governor of the Central Bank of Italy
- The General Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Cassation
- The Attorney General of the Republic
- The Chief of the Defence Staff
- Senators and Deputies, in order of appointment
- The President of the Accademia dei Lincei
- The President of the National Research Council
- The President of the Superior Court of Public Waters
- The Vice President of the Council of Military Courts
- The Vice President of the High Council of the Judiciary
- The Presidents of the Autonomous Provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol
- The Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Cassation
- Prefects, in their provinces
- Mayors, in their cities
- Presidents and General Prosecutors of the Court of Appeals
- Presidents of Provinces, in their cities
- Catholic Bishops, in their dioceses
- The Chief of the Army Staff
- The Chief of the Navy Staff
- The Chief of the Air Staff
- The President of the Permanent conference of Rectors
- Ambassadors, in order of establishment of diplomatic relations with their countries
Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif was a former air officer in the Indian Air Force. He served as the 10th Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) from 1978 to 1981. After retiring from the air force, he served as 11th Governor of Maharashtra from 1982 to 1985.
The Chief of the Air Staff (India), known also as the Air Force Chief, is the chief commanding authority and head air marshal of the Indian Air Force. The COAS is the most senior member of the Air Force, and is usually the highest ranking air officer of the Indian Armed Forces unless the Chief of Defence is an officer of the aerial branch. The office holder is the chief adviser to the Minister of Defence on aerial affairs and heads the military staff of the Indian Air Force.
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by the Central Armed Police Forces, Assam Rifles, Indian Coast Guard and Special Frontier Force and various inter-service commands and institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Integrated Defence Staff. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Armed Forces are under the management of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Government of India. With strength of over 1.4 million active personnel, it is the world's second-largest military force and has the world's largest volunteer army. It also has the third-largest defence budget in the world. In 2020, 2021 and 2022 GlobalFirepower report lists it as the fourth most-powerful military.
The Ministry of Defence is the government body of the Italian Republic responsible for military and civil defence matters and managing the Italian Armed Forces. It is led by the Italian Minister of Defence, a position occupied by Lorenzo Guerini since September 2019.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen. He was deployed as NATO Air Commander (Forward) in Kosovo in 2000. He went on to be Chief of Defence Intelligence in 2006, Chief of Joint Operations in 2009 and the first Commander of Joint Forces Command in December 2011 before being appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013. Peach succeeded General Sir Nick Houghton as Chief of the Defence Staff on 14 July 2016. He succeeded General Petr Pavel as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on 29 June 2018, serving as such until his retirement in June 2021.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Douglas Pulford, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander. A helicopter pilot with operational service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and Iraq War, Pulford commanded RAF Odiham and No. 2 Group, and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operations, before taking up the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel in 2010. He became Chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2013, retiring from the Royal Air Force on 12 July 2016.
General Bipin Rawat PVSM UYSM AVSM YSM SM VSM ADC was an Indian military officer who was a four-star general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in a helicopter crash in December 2021. Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as the 57th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces as well as 26th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army.
Fabian Zimpande "Zakes" Msimang is a retired South African Air Force officer who served as the Chief of the South African Air Force.
Ng Chee Meng is a Singaporean politician and former lieutenant-general who served as the Chief of Air Force from 2009 to 2013 and Chief of Defence Force from 2013 to 2015. He is currently serving as the secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 2018 and is a member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) since 2015.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, is a senior officer in the Royal Air Force, serving as Chief of the Air Staff since 26 July 2019. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from 2017 to 2018, and Deputy Commander (Personnel) and Air Member for Personnel and Capability from 2018 to 2019.
Air Squadron General Enzo Vecciarelli is an Italian Air Force officer, former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Italian Armed Forces. He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force before being appointed Chief of the Defence Staff.
Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, is a retired Indian Air Force officer, who served as the Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, having assumed office on 30 September 2019 after superannuation of Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa. He superannuated on 30 September 2021 and is succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari.
Lieutenant General Jan Ingvar Salestrand is a retired Swedish Air Force officer. Salestrand has served as Chief of Defence Staff, head of the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, head of the Swedish Armed Forces Special Forces and as the Commandant General in Stockholm. From 2014 to 2018, he served as State Secretary to the Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist. Since 1 October 2018, Salestrand serves as Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff.
Giuseppe Bernardis is a retired Italian Air Force general. He served as Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force from 25 February 2010 to 25 February 2013. Pasquale Preziosa was appointed as his successor.
Italy 
