San Marco Regiment
Encyclopedia
The San Marco Regiment located in Brindisi
, are the marines of the Italian Navy
. Until the middle of the 1990s the unit was known as the “San Marco Battalion
” (Battaglione San Marco), until it was expanded beyond battalion size because of the new geopolitical situation after the end of the Cold War
and an increasing number of international missions.
. The regiment also played an important role in Peking
during the Boxer Rebellion
and in the Italo-Turkish War
.
With the beginning of the Italian campaign
during World War I
, the unit was named the Brigata Marina (Naval Brigade), and included two regiments, one infantry
and one artillery
. The brigade's infantry battalions were drawn from various Army and customs units
, in addition to sailors from the torpedoed Italian navy cruiser Amalfi who were hastily equipped as infantry. Following the Battle of Caporetto
in October–November 1917, the Italian front had almost collapsed and the Marina Brigade fought in the defence of Venice
during the Battle of the Piave River
. After the war, the grateful city presented a flag with the Lion of Saint Mark, from Venice's coat of arms, to the soldiers of the Naval Brigade. The Naval Brigade was re-named the San Marco Brigade because of the connection with Venice, and the Italian Ship of the same name that was sunk in World War I
Between the two world wars only a “San Marco Battalion” existed. A special unit of the battalion was sent to garrison the Italian concession in Tianjin
, China
in 1924 and stayed there until it was interned by the Japanese in 1943, when Italy declared war on the Axis. In the confusion, one post resisted, holding out against Japanese attacks for 24 hours before surrendering. The interned Italians were then given the choice to represent the collaborationist fascist government, or become prisoners of war, a choice. The San Marco Battalion also served during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
.
At the beginning of the Second World War the regiment increased in size, and prepared for amphibious landings at Cape Martin
in France
which never happened. . The regiment expanded to seven battalions before the final desert battles in 1943, including the Battaglione Nuotatori who were trained as parachutists in 1941. The 3rd Battalion of the 'San Marco' Regiment, which became known as the Tobruk battalion, repelled landings by British Commandos
at Tobruk during the night of 13/14 September in 1942, in the course of Operation Agreement
. As a result, 200 British commandos were taken prisoner.
The regiment fought at Tobruk
and Tunisia
, where it defended the Mareth line during April and May 1943. The Tobruk Battalion was later destroyed on the night of 5 April 1943 while defending the Oidane-el-Hachana line against an attack on Wadi Akarit by the British 69th Infantry Brigade and Gurkha
units from the Indian 4th Infantry Division."When we were about ten yards away we had reached the top of the slit trench and we killed any of the survivors," recalled British infantryman Bill Cheall , who had just seen his section leader shot down by a San Marco Marine. "It was no time for pussy footing, we were intoxicated with rage and had to kill them to pay for our fallen pal." German General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim later said of the San Marco Marines fighting abilities in Tunisia in 1943, that they were "the best soldiers I ever commanded". Following the Italian surrender in 1943, many San Marco marines fought for the Allies against the Germans, however the 4th (Caorle) Battalion fought for the Germans until the end of the war.
The San Marco Regiment was deactivated in 1956 but was reformed on 1 January 1965 to battalion strength (Marina Battaglione "San Marco") in Venice with 750 personnel. During the Italian-Yugoslav tensions of Triest and Istria
, the Yugoslav head of state Tito
requested the Italian government move the unit from Venice, because he believed it represented a possible aggression against Yugoslavia, and that it was not necessary for the defense of Italy according to the Warsaw Pact
. The battalion was then shifted to Brindisi in Southern Italy and was integrated completely into the Italian navy. In Venice the Italian army reconstituted its Lagunari
(amphibious) troops. From 1982 to 1984 the battalion took part in international peacekeeping
missions in Lebanon
.
Today the San Marco regiment consists of the Amphibious Battalion Grado and the Support Battalion Golametto with approximately 1,500 soldiers. Combined with the Logistics and Training Regiment “Carlotto”, landing boats and helicopters, the San Marco Regiment can conduct amphibious assaults and landings. If necessary, the San Marco Regiment can be reinforced by the Army's Lagunari
. The naval command is connected by unified operations staff and is closely associated with the Spanish marines
. The San Marco Regiment has been active in international peace-keeping operations. Since the early 1980s the unit has deployed to Lebanon
, the Persian Gulf
, Somalia
, Albania
, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo
, East Timor
, Eritrea
and Iraq
. The San Marco regiment and the Lagunari were used together for the first time in operation UNIFIL after the 2006 Lebanon war in a peacekeeping mission as the “Initial Entry Force” in September 2006.
The support elements of the regiment include a telecommunications center; a coordination center for fire support; air observer and coastal defense forces; and staff.
Special forces
exist in the form of a separate company (“Demolitori di Ostacoli Antisbarco DOA”), tasked primarily with the clearing of landing zones and the removal of barriers, obstacles and mines. The soldiers can be landed by helicopters, speedboats or from submarines. The DOA trains with the commando frogmen
of the Italian Combat Fleet Command COMSUBIN
.
Another separate company,consisting of about 180 men, the Naval Operation Company, leads the Boarding teams. These units of about 8 to 10 men conduct boardings and inspections of shipping, e.g. in embargo
measures.
The Grado battalion contains the actual naval infantry component of the Italian navy. The battalion consists of a staff and supply company, three naval infantry companies, plus a 'heavy' company.
Each of the three combat companies consists of three 37 man platoons and a 21 man fire support section. These companies can be brought ashore with amphibious vehicles and boats or with helicopters. In other cases they can operate as mechanized infantry with a modified version of the M113
(“VCC-1”).
The heavy company forms the combat support component of the battalion with their air defense
and anti-tank
weapons as well as with the 120mm mortar
.
Logistical support is conducted by the Golametto battalion. It contains transport and logistics companies, as well as a medical unit. The members of this battalion are fully trained naval infantrymen, who give landing operations the necessary technical and logistic support to the Grado battalion (combat service support). General tasks of support fall into the scope of responsibility of the Carlotto regiment, which supplies the Golametto battalion before the employment depending upon situation concerning orders with the necessary materials.
except that enlisted men are distinguished by a sailor's collar on the uniform and a dark blue or black beret
. Both the Lagunari and the San Marco Marines have the Lion of Saint Mark in their coat of arms. Plans to consolidate both organizations together were temporarily abandoned in the mid-1990s. Today, however, a close cooperation exists because of a common operations staff in Brindisi, which has continued to strengthen ties between the two regiments ( Forza di Proiezione dal Mare ).
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, are the marines of the Italian Navy
Italian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
. Until the middle of the 1990s the unit was known as the “San Marco Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
” (Battaglione San Marco), until it was expanded beyond battalion size because of the new geopolitical situation after the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and an increasing number of international missions.
History
The San Marco Regiment traces its history back to the La Marina Regiment, formed in 1713. During the Wars of Italian Independence the Italian Marines were known as the Fanteria Real Marina, units of specially selected sailors who were skilled marksmenMarksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
. The regiment also played an important role in Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
during the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
and in the Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
.
With the beginning of the Italian campaign
Italian Campaign (World War I)
The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the unit was named the Brigata Marina (Naval Brigade), and included two regiments, one infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and one artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. The brigade's infantry battalions were drawn from various Army and customs units
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
, in addition to sailors from the torpedoed Italian navy cruiser Amalfi who were hastily equipped as infantry. Following the Battle of Caporetto
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto , took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid , on the Austro-Italian front of World War I...
in October–November 1917, the Italian front had almost collapsed and the Marina Brigade fought in the defence of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
during the Battle of the Piave River
Battle of the Piave River
The Battle of the Piave River , known in Italy as Battaglia del Solstizio , Battaglia di Mezzo Giugno , or Seconda Battaglia del Piave , was a decisive victory for the Italian Army during World War...
. After the war, the grateful city presented a flag with the Lion of Saint Mark, from Venice's coat of arms, to the soldiers of the Naval Brigade. The Naval Brigade was re-named the San Marco Brigade because of the connection with Venice, and the Italian Ship of the same name that was sunk in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Between the two world wars only a “San Marco Battalion” existed. A special unit of the battalion was sent to garrison the Italian concession in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1924 and stayed there until it was interned by the Japanese in 1943, when Italy declared war on the Axis. In the confusion, one post resisted, holding out against Japanese attacks for 24 hours before surrendering. The interned Italians were then given the choice to represent the collaborationist fascist government, or become prisoners of war, a choice. The San Marco Battalion also served during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
.
At the beginning of the Second World War the regiment increased in size, and prepared for amphibious landings at Cape Martin
Cape Martin
Cape Martin, also known as Cap Martin, is a small town located on the French Riviera between Menton and Monaco.-References:*...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
which never happened. . The regiment expanded to seven battalions before the final desert battles in 1943, including the Battaglione Nuotatori who were trained as parachutists in 1941. The 3rd Battalion of the 'San Marco' Regiment, which became known as the Tobruk battalion, repelled landings by British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
at Tobruk during the night of 13/14 September in 1942, in the course of Operation Agreement
Operation Agreement
Operation Agreement consisted of a series of ground and amphibious operations carried out by British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces on German and Italian-held Tobruk on 13 September 1942, during the Second World War. A Special Interrogation Group, fluent in German, also took part in missions...
. As a result, 200 British commandos were taken prisoner.
The regiment fought at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, where it defended the Mareth line during April and May 1943. The Tobruk Battalion was later destroyed on the night of 5 April 1943 while defending the Oidane-el-Hachana line against an attack on Wadi Akarit by the British 69th Infantry Brigade and Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
units from the Indian 4th Infantry Division."When we were about ten yards away we had reached the top of the slit trench and we killed any of the survivors," recalled British infantryman Bill Cheall , who had just seen his section leader shot down by a San Marco Marine. "It was no time for pussy footing, we were intoxicated with rage and had to kill them to pay for our fallen pal." German General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim later said of the San Marco Marines fighting abilities in Tunisia in 1943, that they were "the best soldiers I ever commanded". Following the Italian surrender in 1943, many San Marco marines fought for the Allies against the Germans, however the 4th (Caorle) Battalion fought for the Germans until the end of the war.
The San Marco Regiment was deactivated in 1956 but was reformed on 1 January 1965 to battalion strength (Marina Battaglione "San Marco") in Venice with 750 personnel. During the Italian-Yugoslav tensions of Triest and Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, the Yugoslav head of state Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
requested the Italian government move the unit from Venice, because he believed it represented a possible aggression against Yugoslavia, and that it was not necessary for the defense of Italy according to the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. The battalion was then shifted to Brindisi in Southern Italy and was integrated completely into the Italian navy. In Venice the Italian army reconstituted its Lagunari
Lagunari
The Lagunari are amphibious troops of the Italian Army. Today's Reggimento Lagunari Serenissima amphibious assault regiment has its headquarters in Mestre, a borough of Venice, and in the present day they are still subordinate to the Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade...
(amphibious) troops. From 1982 to 1984 the battalion took part in international peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
missions in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Today the San Marco regiment consists of the Amphibious Battalion Grado and the Support Battalion Golametto with approximately 1,500 soldiers. Combined with the Logistics and Training Regiment “Carlotto”, landing boats and helicopters, the San Marco Regiment can conduct amphibious assaults and landings. If necessary, the San Marco Regiment can be reinforced by the Army's Lagunari
Lagunari
The Lagunari are amphibious troops of the Italian Army. Today's Reggimento Lagunari Serenissima amphibious assault regiment has its headquarters in Mestre, a borough of Venice, and in the present day they are still subordinate to the Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade...
. The naval command is connected by unified operations staff and is closely associated with the Spanish marines
Infanteria de Marina
The Spanish Navy Marines is a corps within the Spanish Navy responsible for providing amphibious warfare from the sea utilizing naval platforms and resources...
. The San Marco Regiment has been active in international peace-keeping operations. Since the early 1980s the unit has deployed to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The San Marco regiment and the Lagunari were used together for the first time in operation UNIFIL after the 2006 Lebanon war in a peacekeeping mission as the “Initial Entry Force” in September 2006.
Organization
- Naval Disembarkation Force
- San MarcoSan MarcoSan Marco is one of the six sestieri of Venice, lying in the heart of the city. San Marco also includes the island of San Giorgio Maggiore...
Regiment- Assault Battalion GradoGrado, ItalyGrado is a town and comune in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located on a peninsula of the Adriatic Sea between Venice and Trieste....
- Logistic Battalion Golametto
- Naval Operations Company
- Special Operations Company (Compagnia Operazioni Speciali Andrea Bafile)
- Assault Battalion Grado
- Carlotto Regiment
- Logistic Battalion CortellazzoJesolothumb|250px|Location of Jesolo in the province of Venice.Jesolo is a town and comune in the province of Venice, Italy.-Geography:...
- Battalion schools CaorleCaorleCaorle is a coastal town in the province of Venice, Veneto, Italy, located between the estuaries of the Livenza and Lemene rivers. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea between two other famous touristic towns, Eraclea and Bibione.-History:...
- Logistic Battalion Cortellazzo
- Disembarkation Group
- San Marco
The support elements of the regiment include a telecommunications center; a coordination center for fire support; air observer and coastal defense forces; and staff.
Special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
exist in the form of a separate company (“Demolitori di Ostacoli Antisbarco DOA”), tasked primarily with the clearing of landing zones and the removal of barriers, obstacles and mines. The soldiers can be landed by helicopters, speedboats or from submarines. The DOA trains with the commando frogmen
Frogman
A frogman is someone who is trained to scuba diving or swim underwater in a military capacity which can include combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer....
of the Italian Combat Fleet Command COMSUBIN
Italian commando frogmen
COMSUBIN is the elite combat frogman force and one of the Italian special forces....
.
Another separate company,consisting of about 180 men, the Naval Operation Company, leads the Boarding teams. These units of about 8 to 10 men conduct boardings and inspections of shipping, e.g. in embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
measures.
The Grado battalion contains the actual naval infantry component of the Italian navy. The battalion consists of a staff and supply company, three naval infantry companies, plus a 'heavy' company.
Each of the three combat companies consists of three 37 man platoons and a 21 man fire support section. These companies can be brought ashore with amphibious vehicles and boats or with helicopters. In other cases they can operate as mechanized infantry with a modified version of the M113
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
(“VCC-1”).
The heavy company forms the combat support component of the battalion with their air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
and anti-tank
Anti-tank warfare
Anti-tank warfare was created by the need to seek technology and tactics to destroy tanks and their supporting infantry during the First World War...
weapons as well as with the 120mm mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
.
Logistical support is conducted by the Golametto battalion. It contains transport and logistics companies, as well as a medical unit. The members of this battalion are fully trained naval infantrymen, who give landing operations the necessary technical and logistic support to the Grado battalion (combat service support). General tasks of support fall into the scope of responsibility of the Carlotto regiment, which supplies the Golametto battalion before the employment depending upon situation concerning orders with the necessary materials.
Heraldry
The soldiers of the San Marco regiment are designated as Marine Riflemen. Their rank system is similar to the Italian ArmyItalian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
except that enlisted men are distinguished by a sailor's collar on the uniform and a dark blue or black beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
. Both the Lagunari and the San Marco Marines have the Lion of Saint Mark in their coat of arms. Plans to consolidate both organizations together were temporarily abandoned in the mid-1990s. Today, however, a close cooperation exists because of a common operations staff in Brindisi, which has continued to strengthen ties between the two regiments ( Forza di Proiezione dal Mare ).
Small arms
- Beretta 92FS (pistol, 9mm)
- Heckler & Koch MP5Heckler & Koch MP5The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
(submachine gun) - Beretta M12 S2 (submachine gun)
- Beretta AR70/90 (assault rifle, 5.56mm)
- M203 (grenade launcher, 40mm)
- FN MinimiFN MinimiThe Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
(light machine gun, 5.56mm) - MG42/59 (machine gun, 7.62x51mm)
- Browning M2 (heavy machine gun, 12.7mm)
- Barret 12,7 mm (sniper rifle)
- McMillan 12,7 mm (sniper rifle)
- Accuracy .388 (sniper rifle)
Heavy weapons
- Panzerfaust 3Panzerfaust 3The Panzerfaust 3 is a modern and disposable recoilless RPG anti-tank weapon developed between 1978 and 1985 and put into service by the Bundeswehr in 1992...
(anti tank rocket) - InstalazaInstalazaInstalaza SA is a Spanish firm that designs, develops and manufactures equipment and other military material for infantry. The company, founded in 1943, is headquartered in Madrid and its production plant is in Zaragoza, Aragon...
C90C90-CR (M3)The Instalaza C90 is a 90 mm disposable, shoulder-fired and one-man operated grenade launcher which can be fitted with a VN38-C night vision device for full night combat capability...
(anti tank rocket) - TOWTOWTOW may refer to:* BGM-71 TOW, U.S. anti-tank missile* Maximum Takeoff Weight of an aircraft* Tug of war, a sport* Things on Wheels, video game...
(antitank defense guided weapon) - MILANMILANMILAN " is French and German for "kite bird") is a European anti-tank guided missile. Design of the MILAN started in 1962. It was ready for trials in 1971, and was accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire guided SACLOS missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the...
(antitank defense guided weapon) - StingerFIM-92 StingerThe FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
(air defense guided weapon) - Mortar (81mm)
- mortar (120mm)
Armored vehicles
- VCC-1 APC ( M113M113 armored personnel carrierThe M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
) - VCC-2 APC
- LVTP-7 ( AAV7|AAV7-A1 )