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Italy | Armed Forces (WIP)
Forze Armate Italiane (FF.AA.)
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Coat of Arms
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The Italian Armed Forces (Italian: Forze Armate Italiane (FF.AA.)) encompass the Italian Royal Army, Navy and 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 is part of the military and operates a large fleet of ships, aircraft and helicopters, enabling it to patrol Italy's waters and to eventually participate in warfare scenarios. These five forces have military status and are all organized along military lines, comprising a total of 1,061,563 men and women with the official status of active military personnel. The Monarch of the Italian Kingdom heads the Armed Forces as the Supreme Commander of the Italian Armed Forces, who with the Prime Minister, organizes the Royal Council of Defence. According to the Albertine Statute, Parliament has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the necessary powers in the Government.
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The Italian Armed Forces are committed to the principles of protecting Italian Sovereignty, the foundation of peace and democracy, and the institution of the Monarchy. The Armed Forces are meant to maintain order and security while abiding by international law and accords on human rights. As Italy's role in the world developed, the Armed Forces have evolved from a war-centric entity to one now with the purpose of defending the Italian Kingdom and her allies.
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The Albertine Statute, the Italian constitution, specifies that the Supreme Commander of the Italian Armed Forces is vested in the Monarch. This position is largely ceremonial but does play a role in the Royal Council of Defence which coordinates military protocol. The Defence Council consists of the Monarch, Prime Minister, several Government Ministers, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the high commands of the military's branches. These are the Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito (Chief of the Army General Staff), the Capo di Stato Maggiore della Regia Marina (Chief of Staff of the Royal Navy), the Capo della Regia Aeronautica (Chief of the Royal Air Force), and the Comandante Generale della Carabinieri (Commanding General of the Carabinieri).
The Regia Marina (Royal Navy) of the Italian Armed Forces consists of all sea-based weapons and platforms of the Armed Forces. Comparable to the Navy in other Armed Forces, the Service is a technologically sophisticated branch consisting of 102 commissioned ships. Command of deployable assets is exercised by the Chief of Staff of the Royal Navy. The Surface Fleet consists of a variety of commissioned ships, including 3 Aircraft Carriers, 18 Frigates, 4 Amphibious Assault Ships, 5 Destroyers, 6 Attack Submarines. Patrol and Littoral Warfare units include: 16 Offshore Patrol Vessels and 11 Corvettes. 10 Mine Countermeasure Vessels, 4 Coastal Patrol Boats and a varied fleet of auxiliary ships are also in service. The Regia Marina also consists of a Submarine Fleet, Auxiliary Fleet, and a diverse fleet of aircraft including fixed-wing, rotary and UAVs.
The Regio Esercito (Royal Army) is the central and largest component of the Italian Armed Forces, and is responsible for all land-based operations and equipment of the Forces. The Royal Army consists of 698,703 Active Service personnel and 250,431 Reserve personnel. Structurally, the Royal Army is divided into seven divisions, then further separated into multiple combat brigades which consist of support battalions and regiments. Standard Issue Weapons of the Royal Army include: Beretta 92FS, Beretta AR70/90, Beretta ARX 160, and the Franchi SPAS-15. The Seven Divisions of the Royal Army, and their combat brigades are: Tridentina Division Alpine Brigade Julia Alpine Brigade Taurinense Fruili Divison Armoured Brigade Ariete Calvary Brigade Pozzuolo Mechanized Brigade Sassari Acqui Division Bersaglieri Brigade Garibaldi Mechanized Brigade Pinerolo Mechanized Brigade Aosta Africano Division Mechanized Brigade Tunisi Mechanized Brigade Tripoli Armoured Brigade Bengasi Calvary Brigade Bengasi Sudenta Division Parachutist Brigade Folgore Special Forces Brigade Ajaccio Operational Support Brigade Lugano Air Defence Brigade Mezzia COTIE (Signal and Information Command) Divison Signal Brigade Anzio ISTAR & Electronic Warfare Brigade Anzio Army and Aviation Command Division Army Aviation Instruction Center Vitterbo Army Aviation Brigade Vitterbo Army Aviation Support Command Vitterbo [/font] [font=arial]Regia Aeronautica
The Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) is the branch of the Italian Armed Forces responsible for all aerial operations. The Air Forces has a large operational fleet that fulfils various roles, consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The Air Force is separated into four commands. These commands are further divided into Wings and Squadrons. The Air Force operates multi-role and single-role fighters, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, tankers, transports, helicopters, and various types of training aircraft. As of 2010, the Royal Air Force operates a total active fleet of 557 aerial vehicles, of which 209 are manned combat aircraft and 12 Unmanned combat aerial vehicle. In addition there are 14 more Eurofighter Typhoon on order and 75 F-35 planned for the Air force.
The Corpo dei Carabinieri (Corps of Carabiniers) is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations; as well as participating in domestic and foreign military conflicts. The Carabinieri consist of approximately 111,789 active personnel. The Carabinieri is divided into three divisions: The Mobile Unit Division which is tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies, defending the nation and participating in military operations abroad. It supports public order and territorial control in urban areas, and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety. The DOS (Divisione Operazioni Speciali or Special Operations Divison) is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with subversive activities, terrorism and more complex types of crime. An anti-crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor's office. The Special Tasks Division are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions: Corazzieri (Cuirassiers) are an elite corps and honour guard of the Royal Family, located in the Quirinal Palace. They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally. Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, Parliament, the Judiciary, and the Prime Minister. Carabinieri also perform military police and security duties for the Ministry of National Defence, military high commands, the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad. They also have personnel attached to the Department of Public Security in various departments. Carabinieri Officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian Embassies and Consulates abroad. Together with the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza, the Carabinieri is also responsible for border control.
All four service branches of the Neigelandic Forces recruit primarily from within the Neigelandic Republic, although citizens from the Commonwealth of Nations are also equally eligible to join. The minimum recruitment age is 16 years (although personnel may not serve on armed operations below 18 years, and if under 18 must also have parental consent to join); the maximum recruitment age depends whether the application is for a service force or reserve force role. The normal term of engagement is 25 years, and, unlike other armed forces, there is no 'minimum term' of engagement before personnel may resign.
The Neigelandic Forces are one of the most diverse armed forces in the world with respect to national demographics. In 2005, approximately 22.7% of Neigelandic Forces personnel are from an ethnic minority background, roughly equivalent to the general population. Sexuality has never been a consideration in Neigelandic Forces recruitment; many LGBT people served openly from 1994 onward. The enaction of the Articles of Government and the National Defence Act, both in 1998, provided a statutory footing for this policy, making the Neigelandic Forces one of the first militaries which did not take sexuality into account when recruiting. The Neigelandic Forces have actively recruited at Gay Pride events. The forces keep no formal figures concerning the number of gay and lesbian serving soldiers, saying that the sexual orientation of personnel is considered irrelevant and not monitored.
Similarly, sex and gender is not taken into account for recruitment. Like sexual orientation, an individual's sex was never a consideration when recruiting and again was put on a statutory footing in 1998. In 2005, approximately 17,500 women served in the Neigelandic Forces in all roles, representing 18.4% of personnel. Transgender individuals were unable to join the Neigelandic Forces during the years of the revolution due to fears it may affect morale. This was changed with the passage of the National Defence (Reform) Act 2000, which guaranteed equal recruitment for any individual regardless of any trait, including their gender identity.
For the 2010 fiscal year, the Italian Armed Forces budget amounted to £94.6 Billion, representing 4.3% of the National GDP. Under the National Front, military expenditures have seen considerable increases. By 2018, funding is estimated to reach £102.4 Billion.
