Editor's Foreword

142 ThE MiliTary BalancE 2010
Rapid
Reaction
1 NATO HQ (NRDC-IT) with:
1 Sigs bde , 1 spt regt
(IT-HRF(L), rotational; currently comprises
1 (Sassari) light mech bde;
1 (Aosta) mech bde;
1 (Friuli) air mob bde;
1 (Julia) mnt bde)
Mech 1 (Mantova) div (1st FOD) with:
1 (Ariete) armd bde with (3 tk , 2 mech inf, 1
arty, 1 engr regt, 1 log bn);
1 (Pozzuolo del Friuli) cav bde with (3 cav, 1
amph, 1 arty regt);
1 (Folgore) AB bde with (1 SF, SF RSTA, 3 para,
1 cbt engr regt);
1 (Friuli) air mob bde with (1 cav, 1 airmob, 2
aviation regt ).
1 (Acqui) div (2nd FOD) with:
1 (Pinerolo) mech bde with (1 tk, 3 mech inf, 1
SP arty, 1 cbt engr regt);
1 (Granatieri) mech bde with (1 cav, 2 mech
inf, 1 SP arty regt);
1 (Garibaldi) Bersaglieri bde with (1 tk, 1 cav, 2
heavy mech inf , 1 SP arty, 1 cbt engr regt);
1 (Aosta) mech bde with (1 cav, 3 mech inf, 1
SP arty, 1 cbt engr regt);
1 (Sassari) light mech bde with (2 mech inf, 1
cbt engr regt).
Mtn Inf 1 Mtn HQ
1 (Tridentina) mtn div with:
1 (Taurinense) mtn bde with 3 mtn inf (2nd , 3rd ,
4th ), 1 cav (3rd Nizza Cavalleria), 1 arty, 1 mtn
cbt engr regt, 1 spt bn;
1 (Julia) mtn bde with (3 mtn inf (5th , 7th , 8th ), 1
arty, 1 mtn cbt engr regt, 1 spt bn)
1 (6th ) mtn inf trg regt
SF 1 (4th Alpini)
EW 1 CIS/EW comd HQ (1 EW/RISTA bde with (1
RISTA , 1 EW, 1 HUMINT bn, 2 Sigs bde)
Spt 1 LAND FORCES Spt Comd
Arty 1 arty bde (1 hy arty regt, 1 NBC regt, 2 arty
regt, 1 psyops regt)
AD 1 AD bde (2 (HAWK) SAM regt, 2 SHORAD
regt, 1 training and simulation center
Engr 1 engr bde (3 engr, 1 CIMIC regt)
Avn 1 Army Aviation HQ; 1 avn bde (1 avn bn, 3
avn regt)
Log 1 log div (4 manoeuvre log regt, 4 tpt regt)
EQUIPMENT By TyPE
MBT 320: 200 C1 Ariete; 120 Leopard 1A5
RECCE 300 B-1 Centauro
AIFV 254: 200 VCC-80 Dardo; 54 VBM 8x8 Freccia
APC
APC (T) 1,752: 241 Bv-206; 384 M-113 (incl variants);
1,127 VCC-1 Camillino/VCC-2
APC (W) 617: 57 Fiat 6614; 560 Puma
AAV 16: 14 LVTP-7; 1 AAVC-7; 1 AAVR-7
ARTY 931
SP 155mm 164: 124 M-109L; 40 PzH 2000
TOWED 155mm 164 FH-70
MRL 227mm 22 MLRS
MOR 581: 81mm 253; 120mm 183 BRANDT; 145 RT-F1;
AT
MSL • MANPATS 1,327: 32 SPIKE; 1,000 Milan; 295
I-TOW
RCL 80mm 482 Folgore
RL 110mm 2,000 Pzf 3 Panzerfaust 3
AIRCRAFT
TPT 6: 3 ACTL-1 (Do-228); 3 P-180
HELICOPTERS
ATK 60 A-129 ESS Mangusta
SPT 21 CH-47C Chinook
UTL 148: 60 AB-205; 43 AB-206 JetRanger; 18 AB-212; 22
AB-412 (Bell 412) Twin Huey; 5 TTH NH-90
AD
SAM 132
TOWED 68: 36 MIM-23 HAWK; 32 Skyguard/Aspide
MANPAD 64 FIM-92A Stinger
GUNS • SP 25mm 64 SIDAM
Navy 34,000
fORCEs By ROLE
Fleet 1 Fleet Commander CINCNAV with 6
subordinate operational commands
Navy COMFORAL (Front – Line Forces located
at Taranto), COMFORPAT (Patrol Forces
located at Augusta), COMFORDRAG (MCM
Forces located at La Spezia), COMFORSUB
(Submarine Forces located at Taranto),
COMFORAER (Naval Aviation Forces located
at Rome), COMFORSBARC (Amphibious/
Landing Forces located at Brindisi).
Maritime 1 High Readiness Forces HQ
EQUIPMENT By TyPE
SUBMARINES • TACTICAL • SSK 6:
4 Pelosi (imp Sauro, 3rd and 4th series) each with 6 single
533mm TT each with 12 Type A-184 HWT / DM2A4
HWT
2 Salvatore Todaro (Type U212A) with 6 single 533mm TT
each with 12 Type A-184 HWT / DM2A4 HWT
PRINCIPAL SURFACE COMBATANTS 26
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS • CVS 2:
1 G. Garibaldi with 2 single 533mm ASTT with Mk 46
LWT, 2 Albatros octuple with (16 eff.) Aspide SAM, 4
twin (8 eff.) with up to 4 Mk 2 Otomat SSM, (capacity
mixed air group of either 15 AV-8B Harrier II; 17
SH-3D Sea King or EH101 Merlin),(LHA role under
development)
1 Cavour with 1 32-cell VLS with Aster 15 Naval SAM
2 76mm gun, (capacity 8 AV-8B Harrier II; 12 EH101
Merlin)
DESTROYERS • DDG 4:
2 Andrea Doria each with 1 48-cell VLS with Aster 15
SAM /Aster 30 SAM, 2 twin TT (4 eff.) with MU-90, 3
76mm, (capacity either 1 EH101 spt hel or 1 NH90 TTH
utl hel) (Undergoing trials, 2nd vessel ISD expected
2010)