Operational Land Forces Command
Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri - Comando Operativo Esercito, COMFOTER - COE) is the Italian Army's major command tasked with the operational and administrative control of most of its combat forces. COMFOTER - COE reports directly to the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. The command is based in Rome.
Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command | |
---|---|
Comando Forze Operative Terrestri - Comando Operativo Esercito | |
Coat of arms of the Operational Land Forces Command | |
Active | 1 October 1997 - 30 September 2016 (Operational Land Forces Command) 1 October 2016 - present (Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command) |
Country | Italy |
Branch | Italian Army |
Part of | Staff of the Italian Army |
Garrison/HQ | Rome |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Gen. C.A. Federico Bonato |
History
The Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command traces its origins back to the Operational Land Forces Command established in 1997.
1997 - 2016: Operational Land Forces Command
The Operational Land Forces Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri, COMFOTER) was established in Verona on 1 October 1997 following the reform of the military who attributed hierarchical supremacy of the Chief of the Defence Staff.
It brought together in a single organization all the units engaged in combat, combat support, combat service support and in communication and information systems, which together amounted to about 80% of the Italian Army. Initially it was part of the Allied Land Forces Southern Europe (LANDSOUTH), with whom he shared the headquarters of the command, which then broke away, when the Allied Land Forces Command in Southern Europe in 2004 was transferred to Madrid, and had four commands:
- Supports Command;
- Command of projection forces;
- 1st Command of the Defence Forces;
- 2nd Command of the Defence Forces;
- Alpine troops Command.
Until 30 September 2016, COMFOTER controlled
- Division "Friuli"
- 2nd Defence Forces Command
- Alpine troops Command
- Army Signals and Information Command
- Army Aviation Command
- NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy
- Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore"
- Artillery Command
- Anti-Aircraft Command
- Engineering Command
The headquarters of COMFOTER in Verona was Carli Palace, even if the command department is located at the Dalla Bona barracks of Verona.[1]
2016 - present: Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command
The Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command was established on 1 October 2016, after the splitting of the Operational Land Forces Command in the Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command (COMFOTER - COE) itself and in the Operational Land Forces Support Command.[2][3]
The 2013 Revision Plan of the Ground Military Instrument of the Army Staff gave to the Operational Land Forces Support Command (COMFOTER SPT), to the Operational Forces Command - North (COMFOP NORD), to the Operational Forces Command - South (COMFOP SUD) and to the Alpine Troops Command (COMTA) a chain of command independent from the COMFOTER, while maintaining the newly established COMFOTER COE directly under the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army.[4]
List of commanders
The Operational Land Forces Command had nine Commanders:
- Ten. Gen. Giuseppe Ardito (1997 - 2001)
- Ten. Gen. Alberto Ficuciello (2001 - 2003)
- Ten. Gen. Antonio Quintana (2003)
- Gen. C.A. Cosimo D'Arrigo (2003 - 2005)
- Gen. C.A. Bruno Iob (2005 - 2008)
- Gen. C.A. Armando Novelli (2008 - 2010)
- Gen. C.A. Francesco Tarricone (2010 - 2012)
- Gen. C.A. Roberto Bernardini (2012 - 2014)
- Gen. C.A. Alberto Primicerj (2014 - 2016)[3]
As of 2020, the Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command has had two commanders:[5]
Mission
The Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command plans, organizes and conducts the delegated operations by delegation of the Chief of the Defence Staff or the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operational Command (VCOM OPS).[6]
The Command constitutes the ground-based component command of the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operational Command for the planning, organization, conduct and support of operations that do not require a deployed land component command or plan, organize and monitor the phases that precede the deployment 1of an land component command in readiness.[6]
For operational aspects, although the COMFOTER-COE no longer has direct responsibility for the various Maneuver Brigades, it remains responsible for elaborating guidelines for preparing and training the Commands and Units, supervising and generating the forces and contingent planning engaged in national and international missions and operations.[4]
Organization
The Commander of the Operational Land Forces Command controls both units and commands and a direct-collaboration military apparatus.
Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command
The Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command is subdivided in some subordinate bodies:[7][8]
- Commander's Secretariat;
- Planning, Programming and Budget Section;
- COMFOTER COE General Staff;
- COMFOTER COE General Staff Office
- COMFOTER COE Chief of General Staff's Office
- Operations General Staff;
- Operations General Staff Secretariat
- Plans Office
- Operations Office
- Operations Support Office
- Information Office
- Special Operations Section
- Preparation General Staff
- Preparation General Staff Secretariat
- Training Office
- Preparation Office
- Simulation and Training Technologies Office
Organization
As of 2020 the Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command controls two subordinate commands:[2]
- Army Special Forces Command (COMFOSE)
- Army Aviation Command
- Army Aviation Brigade
- Army Aviation Training Centre
- Army Aviation Support Command
Notes
- "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri La Storia". esercito.difesa.it. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri e Comando Operativo Esercito - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- Casoli, Paola (3 October 2016). "COMFOTER: cambio comando, al gen Primicerj subentra il collega Sperotto. E il COMFOTER si trasforma in comando di supporto". Paola Casoli Blog (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- Scarpitta, Alberto (12 May 2017). "Il Comando Forze Operative Nord – Analisi Difesa" (in Italian). Analisi Difesa. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "I Comandanti - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri e Comando Operativo Esercito - Il Compito - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- "Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito". www.difesa.it (in Italian). Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- Manuale di gestione del servizio per la tenuta del protocollo del protocollo informatico e la gestione dei flussi documentali e degli archivi dell'area organizzativa omogenea "Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito" (PDF) (in Italian). Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. 2018. pp. D1–D2. Retrieved 31 July 2020.