Operational Land Forces Support Command

The Operational Land Forces Support Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto, COMFOTER SPT) is a major subdivision of the Italian Army tasked with providing support resources to the Operational Land Forces Command.[2]

Operational Land Forces Support Command
Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto
Coat of arms of the Operational Land Forces Support Command
Active1 October 2016 - present
Country Italy
Branch Italian Army
RoleCombat support
Combat service support
Size16,000 troops ca.
Part ofStaff of the Italian Army
SeatPalazzo Carli, Verona
Commanders
Current
commander
Gen. C.A.Giuseppenicola Tota
Chief of StaffGen. B. Antonello Messenio Zanitti[1]
Notable
commanders
Alberto Ficuciello

History

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The Operational Land Forces Support 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) and in the Operational Land Forces Support Command itself.[3][4]

The Operational Land Forces Support Command was established in accordance to the 2013 Revision Plan of the Ground Military Instrument of the Army Staff. The Revision Plan gave to COMFOTER SPT a chain of command independent from the Operational Forces Command, by upgrading the former Supports Command of the Land Operational Forces and placing the newly established COMFOTER SPT directly under the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army.[5]

Commanders

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In its various configurations, the Operational Land Forces Support Command has had a total of ten Commanders:[6]

Commanders of the Operational Land Forces Command

  • Ten. Gen. Alberto Ficuciello (2001 - 2003);
  • Ten. Gen. Antonio Quintana (2003 - 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);
  • Gen. C.A. Amedeo Sperotto (2016 - 2018);
  • Gen. C.A. Giuseppenicola Tota (2018 - 2020);
  • Gen. C.A. Massimo Scala (2020 - )


Commanders of the Operational Land Forces Support Command:

  • Gen. C.A.Amedeo Sperotto (2016 - 2018);[4][7][8]
  • Gen. C.A.Giuseppenicola Tota (2018–2020).[8][9][10]

Mission

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The Operational Land Forces Support Command is a management, coordination and control body of the tactical and logistic support Commands and Units of the Italian Army.[2] The Command is also responsible for the preparation of these Units and Commands, subject to an operational use both nationally[11] and internationally.[2]

While not hierarchically subordinate to the Operational Land Forces Command, the Operational Land Forces Support Command follows policy guidelines issued by the Operational Land Forces Command for preparation, training and preparedness of support Commands and Units.[12]: 9 

Organization

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Carli Palace, Verona, seat of the Operational Land Forces Support Command.

The Operational Land Forces Support Command directly depends on the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army and is based in Verona.[2] The Commander makes use of several subordinate bodies to direct the complex of activities entrusted and the subordinate units and commands:[13]

  • Commander area;
  • Office of the Commanding General;
  • Administration Office;
  • Chief of Staff - Coordination Section of the General Staff;
  • Planning, Programming and Budget Office;
  • Legal affairs Office;
  • Plans and Situation Office;
  • Training Office;
  • Security Office;
  • Personnel Office;
  • Logistic Office;
  • General Affairs Office;
  • Studies, Regulations and Lessons Learned Office;
  • Command Unit.

The Command controls a total of approximately 16,000 troops.[2]

Organization

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Operational Land Forces Support Command organization 2022 (click to enlarge)

As of 2022 the Operational Land Forces Support Command consists of the following five commands at brigade-level:[2]

Until 2021 there was a sixth command, but it has been transferred to the Army Logistic Command, in Rome.

  •   Logistic Support Command (Rome)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Avvicendamento al comando Artiglieria Controaerei, il generale Antonello Messenio Zanitti cede il comando al parigrado Fabrizio Argiolas". -Military News from Italy- (in Italian). 8 October 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri e Comando Operativo Esercito - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ Scarpitta, Alberto (12 May 2017). "Il Comando Forze Operative Nord – Analisi Difesa" (in Italian). Analisi Difesa. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. ^ "I Comandanti - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  7. ^ Casoli, Paola (28 September 2016). "COMFOTER, cambio al vertice: il gen Primicerj cede il comando al collega Sperotto". Paola Casoli Blog (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Passaggio di consegne al comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto". Difesa Online (in Italian). 3 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  9. ^ Cannataro, Francesca (4 July 2018). "Il Generale Giuseppenicola Tota prende il Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto". Report Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  10. ^ Casoli, Paola (4 July 2018). "COMFOTER SPT: la cerimonia del passaggio di consegne tra il gen Sperotto e il gen Tota". Paola Casoli Blog (in Italian).
  11. ^ "L'Esercito fa il buon Samaritano". La Cronaca di Verona (in Italian). 20 May 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. ^ Rapporto Esercito 2016 (PDF) (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. 2016. p. 9. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto". www.difesa.it (in Italian). Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 27 July 2020.