NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy

NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy
NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy
	Coat of arms
Active	2001–present
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	Allied Command Operations
Location	Milan & Solbiate Olona, Italy
Motto(s)	Ubique Celere
Website	https://www.nrdc-ita.nato.int
Commanders
Current; commander	Lieutenant General Lorenzo D'Addario

The NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy (NRDC-ITA) is a multinational Headquarters based in Italy with the operational HQ within “Ugo Mara” barracks in Solbiate Olona. Its institutional center is located in Palazzo Cusani, in the center of Milan. The unit reports to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and is ready to be deployed globally, at short notice, to face multiple missions. It is a High Readiness Headquarters which can be quickly dispatched to command-and-control NATO troops on missions within or beyond the territory of NATO member states, for the collective defence of Alliance territory or in pursuit of Alliance, EU or coalition security interests. NRDC-ITA is a highly skilled and responsive NATO multinational HQ with Italy as its framework nation, fully contributing to NATO’s efforts that aim to strengthen deterrence and defence, and project stability beyond its borders. Italy provides approximately 75% of the personnel, whilst the remaining 25% is made up of Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers from other Alliance nations. The multinational environment is a key factor enabling NRDC-ITA to operate successfully. This sees the inclusion of highly skilled military personnel from 20 contributing nations: Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. When considering the location of the new NATO headquarters, the region of Lombardy in Northern Italy was selected due to its strategic position. Specifically, the HQ is near multiple transportation networks including two international airports (Malpensa and Linate), railways, motorways, and the ports of Genoa and Trieste. The proximity to these transportation networks allows NRDC-Italy to rapidly deploy and to better face the threats in both the NATO strategic directions East and South.^[1]

History

In 1997, in the wake of a major restructuring of the Italian Army, the 3rd Army Corps was transformed into the Projection Forces Command (COMFOP) in command and control of three brigades, which were characterized by high mobility and deployability.^[2] However already on 1 December 2000 the 3rd Army Corps ceded its last brigades to the 1st Defence Forces Command (COMFOD 1°) and with its personnel the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy was raised in January 2001.^[3]

Structure

NRDC-ITA is operationally led by NATO's Joint Force Command Headquarters in Naples or Brunssum. Its staff comprises soldiers from 20 NATO member states, but the Commander and a large part of the staff are Italian. Normally, the Corps commands only a support brigade, but it can command further support units as well as a number of divisions or brigades.^[3]