Introduction
How is the Military in Italy and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Italian Armed Forces (Forze Armate Italiane): Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI; includes aviation, marines), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI); Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2025).
In Italy, the Italian military is responsible for Italy’s national defense and security and fulfilling the country’s commitments to the EU, NATO, the UN, and other multinational military, security, and humanitarian operations; it also has some domestic security duties; key areas of emphasis for Italy’s security policy and multinational cooperation are Europe’s eastern and southern flanks, including the Mediterranean Sea, East and North Africa, and the Middle East and its adjacent waters
Italy has been an active member of NATO since its founding in 1948, and the Alliance is a cornerstone of Rome’s national security strategy; it is one of NATO’s leading contributors of military forces and participates in such Alliance missions as Air Policing in the Baltics, the Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, and maritime patrols in the Mediterranean and beyond; it hosts NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples and a NATO Rapid Deployable Corps headquarters in Milan
Italy is also active in European/EU defense cooperation and integration, including hosting the headquarters for the EU’s Mediterranean naval operations force in Rome; in addition, Italy has close defense ties with the US and hosts several US military air, army, and naval bases and facilities (2025)
Italy has been an active member of NATO since its founding in 1948, and the Alliance is a cornerstone of Rome’s national security strategy; it is one of NATO’s leading contributors of military forces and participates in such Alliance missions as Air Policing in the Baltics, the Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, and maritime patrols in the Mediterranean and beyond; it hosts NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples and a NATO Rapid Deployable Corps headquarters in Milan
Italy is also active in European/EU defense cooperation and integration, including hosting the headquarters for the EU’s Mediterranean naval operations force in Rome; in addition, Italy has close defense ties with the US and hosts several US military air, army, and naval bases and facilities (2025)
Security and military information of Italy
| Military and security service personnel strengths | approximately 170,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 105,000 Carabinieri (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the military's inventory includes a mix of domestically manufactured, imported, and jointly produced weapons systems, mostly from Europe and the US; in recent years, the US has been the lead supplier of military hardware to Italy; the Italian defense industry is capable of producing equipment across all the military domains with particular strengths in aircraft, armored vehicles, and naval vessels; it also participates in joint development and production of advanced weapons systems with other European countries and the US (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 17-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (some variations on age depending on the military branch); voluntary service is a minimum of 12 months with the option to extend in the Armed Forces or compete for positions in the Military Corps of the Italian Red Cross, the State Police, the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, the Penitentiary Police, or the National Fire Brigade; recruits can also volunteer for 4 years military service; conscription abolished 2004 (2024). note: women serve in all military branches; as of 2023, women made up about 8% of the military's full-time personnel |
| Military deployments | Italy has on average about 8,000 military personnel deployed in support of NATO, UN, and other foreign missions; significant ground troop deployments include Bulgaria (750), Hungary (250), Kosovo (870), Latvia (300), and Lebanon (875); in addition, air and naval units are deployed in support of NATO missions (2025). note: since 1960, Italy has committed more than 60,000 troops to UN missions, and it hosts a training center in Vicenza for police personnel destined for peacekeeping missions |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2025 | 2% of GDP (2025 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.) |
Terrorism
In Italy, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
All Important Facts about Italy
Want to know more about Italy? Check all different factbooks for Italy below.
