High-readiness forces: in 2025, the Italian Army deployed over 12,000 military personnel
The findings of the Armed Forces’ 2025 Report. Among the Armed Forces’ assets made available to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Over-the-Horizon Reserve Forces were of particular importance; these reserve units for the Balkan region have been deployed on several occasions in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina (albeit in a reduced formation) in response to rising socio-political tensions in the region
by Andrea Carli
Over 12,000 military personnel were deployed last year by the Italian Army as high-readiness forces. This figure is contained in the Armed Forces’ latest Report. Faced with an increasingly complex situation – starting with the Russian threat in Eastern Europe – and against a backdrop in which the US has announced a reduction in its NATO forces, the Italian Ministry of Defence is placing even greater emphasis on high- and very high-readiness forces.
On the one hand, therefore, there is the ‘traditional’ commitment, which involves a presence on the international stage. In this context, the Army operates both under the auspices of NATO and as part of missions organised by the UN and the European Union. In addition to these operational activities, there are numerous bilateral cooperation ‘initiatives’ currently underway, with a total of around 4,400 military personnel deployed abroad (2,348 in Europe, 1,473 in Asia and 567 in Africa), a figure that has been rising in recent years. This involves more than 20 operations outside Italy’s borders, spread across 17 operational theatres.
High-readiness forces
However, the Armed Forces’ 2025 Report highlights that, in addition to the forces deployed on operations outside Italy’s borders, the Army makes a significant contribution to the Joint Rapid Response Forces (JRRF). This is a package of Defence forces that has been identified, trained, made interoperable and deployed at a high state of readiness to be deployed rapidly, if necessary, to deal with sudden crisis situations, with a total commitment that saw around 12,300 personnel deployed over the course of the year.
The reserve unit’s key role in the Balkans
The document makes it clear that, in 2025, the commitment to high-readiness assets has further intensified, resulting in a greater burden both operationally and organisationally. This follows the implementation of the NATO Force Model, within which Italy intends to maintain a significant role, contributing, amongst other commitments, to the establishment of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF) by offering a package of capabilities organised at Corps level (NRDC-ITA, as ARF HQ), Division (D. ‘Vittorio Veneto’, as ARF DIV Land Component Command) and Brigade (B. ‘Julia’, as ARF Land Brigade). Among the Armed Forces assets offered to the North Atlantic Alliance, the Over The Horizon Reserve Forces (OTHRF) have been of particular importance, reserve units for the Balkan region that have been deployed on several occasions to Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina (albeit in a reduced configuration) in response to rising socio-political tensions in the region.
