The article provides an overview of the entire chain of command and organization of the Italian Air Force as of 1 January 2018 and includes all currently active units. The Armed Forces of Italy are under the command of the Italian Supreme Defense Council, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic.
The Italian Air Force is commanded by the Capo di Stato Maggiore dell’Aeronautica Militare ("Chief of the Air Force General Staff") in Rome.
Chief of the Air Force General Staff The Capo di Stato Maggiore dell’Aeronautica Militare heads the Air Force General Staff in Rome, manages the operational aspects of the air force, and supervises four major commands. Air Force General Staff, in Rome Comando della Squadra Aerea (CSA , "Air Fleet Command "), in Rome Comando Logistico dell'AM (CLOG AM "Air Force Logistic Command"), in Rome Comando 1ª Regione Aerea (1ªRA, "1st (North Italy) Air Region Command"), in Milan Comando delle Scuole dell’AM/3ª Regione Aerea ( CSAM/3ªRA, "Air Force Schools Command - 3rd (South Italy) Air Region"), in Bari
Air Force General Staff The following offices report directly to the Chief of the Air Force General Staff.
Ufficio Generale del Capo di SMA (Main Office of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff) Segreteria Particolare del Capo di SMA (Special Secretariat of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff) Direzione per l’Impiego del Personale Militare dell’Aeronautica (Air Force Military Personnel Employment Directorate - DIPMA) Ufficio Generale di Coordinamento della Prevenzione Antinfortunistica e della Tutela Ambientale (Accident Prevention and Environmental Protection Main Coordination Office - UCOPRATA) Ufficio Generale di Coordinamento della Vigilanza Antinfortunistica (Accident Vigilance Main Coordination Office - UCOVA) Ufficio Generale Centro di Responsabilità Amministrativa – Aeronautica Militare (Administrative Responsibility Center Main Office - Air Force - UCRA-AM) Ispettorato per la Sicurezza del Volo (Flight Safety Inspectorate - ISV) Istituto Superiore per la Sicurezza del Volo (Higher Flight Safety Institute - ISSV) Ufficio del Generale del Ruolo delle Armi (General of the Arms Office) Capo del Corpo del Genio Aeronautico (Air Force Engineer Corps Chief) Capo del Corpo di Commissariato Aeronautico (Air Force Commissariat Corps Chief) Capo del Corpo Sanitario Aeronautico (Air Force Medical Corps Chief) Commissioni di Avanzamento e la Segreteria Permanente (Advancement Commissions and ) Segreteria Permanente Commissione Superiore Avanzamento (Permanent Secretariat Higher Promotion Commission) Commissione Ordinaria Avanzamento Ufficiali (Officers Promotion Commission) Commissione Permanente Avanzamento Marescialli dell'A.M. (Non-commissioned Officer Promotion Commission) Commissione Permanente Avanzamento Sergenti dell'A.M. (Sergeants Promotion Commission) Commissione Permanente Avanzamento Volontari in S.P. dell'A.M. (Volunteers in Permanent Service Promotion Commission) Aiutante di Volo del Capo di SMA (Chief of SMA Flight Adjutant) Consulente Giuridico del Capo di SMA (Chief of SMA Legal Advisor) Consulente Tecnico Militare Problematiche d’Avanzamento (Technical-Military Consultant Promotion Problems) Presidente Capo dei Sottufficiali, Graduati e militari di Truppa per l’AM (Air Force Non-commissioned Officers, Graduates and Soldiers Chief President) Ufficio Vicario Episcopale per l’AM (Air Force Episcopal Vicar Office) Comando Carabinieri per l’AM (Air Force Carabinieri Command)
Sottocapo di Stato Maggiore Aeronautica Militare (SCaSMA) The Deputy Chief of the Air Force General Staff manages the bureaucratic aspects of the Air Force.
Ufficio del Sottocapo (Deputy Chief Office) Segreteria Particolare del SCaSMA (SCaSMA Special Secretariat) Ufficiale Addetto del SCaSMA (SCaSMA Adjutant) 1° Reparto "Ordinamento e Personale" (1st Department "Regulations and Personnel" - SMA-ORD) 3° Reparto "Pianificazione dello Strumento Aerospaziale" (3rd Department "Planning of the Aeroespacial Instrument" - SMA-PIANI) Centro di Eccellenza per Aeromobili a Pilotaggio Remoto (CDE APR) (Center of Excellence for Remotely Piloted Aircraft), at Amendola Air Base 4° Reparto "Logistica" (4th Department "Logistics" - SMA-LOG) 5° Reparto "Comunicazione" (5th Department "Communications" - SMA-COM) 6° Reparto "Affari Economici e Finanziari" (6th Department "Economic and Financial Affairs" - SMA-FIN)) Reparto Generale Sicurezza (General Security Department - SMA-SEC) Centro Coordinamento Sicurezza (Security Coordination Center), at Rome Ciampino Airport 33x Nuclei Sicurezza (33x Security Squads) Ufficio Generale per lo Spazio (Space Main Office - SMA-SPAZIO) Ufficio Generale per la Circolazione Aerea Militare (Military Air Traffic Main Office - SMAUCAM) Ufficio Generale Consulenza e Affari Giuridici Aeronautica Militare (Air Force Counsel and Legal Affairs Main Office - SMAUCAG) Ufficio Generale per l'Innovazione Manageriale (Managerial Innovation Main Office - SMA-UIM)
Comando Aeronautica Militare Roma The Air Force Command Rome (COMAER), in Centocelle Airport has territorial and liaison functions for the city of Rome and provides administrative support to the air force headquarter and units based at Centocelle Airport and Vigna di Valle Airport.
Comando Supporti Enti di Vertice (Higher Commands Support Command - COMSEV), at Centocelle Airport Distaccamento Aeronautico Terminillo (Aeronautical Detachment Terminillo), in Monte Terminillo Comando Aeroporto di Centocelle / Quartier Generale del COMAER (Centocelle Air Base Command - COMAER Headquarter), at Centocelle Airport Comando Aeroporto Vigna di Valle / Centro Storiografico e Sportivo dell’AM (Vigna di Valle Air Base Command / Air Force History & Sport Center), at Vigna di Valle Airport Museo Storico (History Museum) Centro Sportivo (Sport Center) Gruppo Servizi Generali (General Services Squadron) Plotone Protezione delle Forze (Force Protection Platoon)
Ispettore dell’Aviazione per la Marina (Aviation Inspector for the Navy)
The Ispettore dell’Aviazione per la Marina (Aviation Inspector for the Navy - ISPAVIAMAR) reports to the Chief of the Air Force General Staff and the Chief of the Navy General Staff. ISPAVIAMAR oversees the technical and logistic aeronautical aspects, and the training of the Italian military's airborne anti-submarine forces. The inspector is a brigadier general of the air force, whose office and staff reside in the navy's headquarter in Rome. The only unit assigned to ISPAVIAMAR is the 41° Stormo AntiSom Athos Ammannato, which is under operational control of the Italian Navy.
41° Stormo AntiSom "Athos Ammannato" (41st (Anti-submarine) Wing), at Sigonella Air Base 86° Gruppo CAE (86th Crew Training Squadron) 88° Gruppo AntiSom (88th Anti-submarine Squadron) with 4× P-72A ASW 441° Gruppo Servizi Tecnico-Operativi (441st Technical Services Squadron) 541° Gruppo Servizi Logistico-Operativi (541st Logistic Services Squadron) 941° Gruppo Efficienza Aeromobili (941st Maintenance Squadron) Gruppo Protezione delle Forze (Force Protection Squadron)
Air Fleet Command
The Air Fleet Command (Comando della Squadra Aerea or CSA) controls all operative units, the intelligence, electronic warfare capabilities and the operational headquarter of the air force. The CSA ensures that unit is equipped, trained and prepared for combat duty and controls them during combat operations.
Air Fleet Command, at Centocelle Airport, in Rome Comando Operazioni Aeree (Air Operations Command), in Poggio Renatico Comando delle Forze da Combattimento (Combat Forces Command), in Milan Comando Forze per la Mobilità e il Supporto (Airlift and Support Forces Command), in Rome 9ª Brigata Aerea ISTAR-EW (9th Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance - Electronic Warfare (ISTAR-EW) Air Brigade), at Pratica di Mare Air Base 1ª Brigata Aerea Operazioni Speciali (1st Special Operations Air Brigade), in Furbara Air Base Italian Air Force Delegation, at NATO's Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP), at Albacete Air Base (Spain)
Air Operations Command The Comando Operazioni Aeree (Air Operations Command - COA) conducts all operations of the Aeronautica Militare. COA controls all military radar installations in Italy and its Air Operations Center commands and controls the defence of Italy's air-space.
Comando Operazioni Aeree (Air Operations Command - COA), in Poggio Renatico Italian Air Operations Center (ITA-AOC), in Poggio Renatico, reports to NATO's Integrated Air Defense System CAOC Torrejón in Spain Reparto Servizi Coordinamento e Controllo Aeronautica Militare (Air Force Coordination and Control Service Department - RSCCAM), at Ciampino Air Base (Air traffic management) Servizo Coordinamento e Controllo Aeronautica Militare Abano Terme Servizo Coordinamento e Controllo Aeronautica Militare Linate Servizo Coordinamento e Controllo Aeronautica Militare Brindisi Reparto Preparazione alle Operazioni (Operations Preparation Department - RPO), in Poggio Renatico Reparto Mobile Comando e Controllo (Mobile Command and Control Regiment - RMCC), at Bari Air Base (Air-transportable command and control post) Gruppo Sistemi TLC e, Comando e Controllo (Command and Control, and Telematic Systems Squadron) Gruppo Servizi di Supporto (Support Services Squadron) Reparto Supporto Servizi Generali (General Service Support Regiment - RSSG), in Poggio Renatico Gruppo Servizi Tecnico-Operativi (Technical Services Squadron) Gruppo Servizi Logistico-Operativi (Logistic Services Squadron) Gruppo Protezione delle Forze (Force Protection Squadron) Reparto Difesa Aerea Missilistica Integrata (Integrated Missile Air-defence Regiment - Rep. DAMI), in Poggio Renatico 11° Gruppo DAMI (11th Integrated Missile Air-defence Squadron - 11° GrDAMI), in Poggio Renatico 22° Gruppo Radar Aeronautica Militare (22nd Air Force Radar Squadron - 22° GrRAM), in Licola Servizio Difesa Aerea (Air-defense Service) Servizio Tecnico Operativo (Technical Service) Servizio Logistico Operativo (Logistic Service) Compagnia Protezione delle Forze (Force Protection Company) Italian Air Force Delegation, at the French Air Force's Commandement de la défense aérienne et des opérations aériennes (CDAOA), in Paris (France) Italian Air Force Delegation, at NATO's European Air Transport Command (EATC) at Eindhoven Air Base (Netherlands)
9th ISTAR-EW Air Brigade 9th Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance - Electronic Warfare (ISTAR-EW) Air Brigade, at Pratica di Mare Air Base Comando Aeroporto di Pratica di Mare (Pratica di Mare Air Base Command) Reparto Tecnico-Operativo (Technical Services Regiment) Reparto Logistico-Operativo (Logistic Services Regiment) Gruppo Protezione delle Forze (Force Protection Squadron) Reparto Supporto Tecnico Operativo Guerra Elettronica (Electronic Warfare Technical-operational Support Regiment - ReSTOGE), at Pratica di Mare Air Base Gruppo Supporto Operativo (Operational Support Squadron) Gruppo Sistemi Difesa Aerospaziale (Air-space Defense Systems Squadron) Gruppo Supporto Tecnico (Technical Support Squadron) Reparto Addestramento Controllo Spazio Aereo (Air-space Control Training Regiment - RACSA), at Pratica di Mare Air Base Gruppo Addestramento Operativo Traffico Aereo (Air-traffic Training Squadron) Gruppo Addestramento Operativo Difesa Aerea (Air-defence Training Squadron) Gruppo Supporto Tecnico (Technical Support Squadron) Centro Informazioni Geotopografiche Aeronautiche (Air Force Geo-topographic Information Center - CIGA), at Pratica di Mare Air Base Centro Nazionale Meteorologia e Climatologia Aeronautica (Air Force National Meteorological and Climatological Center - CNMCA), at Pratica di Mare Air Base Centro Operativo per la Meteorologia (Meteorological Operational Center - COMET), at Pratica di Mare Air Base
Combat Forces Command