Italian Armed Forces

The Italian Armed Forces are the combined military forces of the Italian Republic. They encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force, with the Carabinieri serving as a fourth branch that acts as the military police and also takes part in missions abroad. The Guardia di Finanza is organised along military lines without being a branch. Together these five forces count 340,885 active personnel, of whom 167,057 serve in the army, navy and air force. The President of Italy heads them as president of the High Council of Defence, while Parliament holds the power to declare war. Italian contingents have served in the Gulf War, in Afghanistan and in many United Nations, NATO and European Union operations.