The Italian Armed Forces (italian: Forze Armate Italiane) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy, the Italian Air Force and the Carabinieri. The President of the Italian Republic heads the armed forces as the President of the Supreme Council of Defence. The total number of active military personnel in 2011 is 319,529 (including the national gendarmerie, but excluding Guardia di Finanza, a military corp under the authority of the Italian Ministry of Economy). Italy currently runs the ninth or tenth highest military budget in the world.
Read more about Italian Armed Forces: Italian Constitution, The Four Branches of Italian Armed Forces, NATO Membership and UN Missions
Famous quotes containing the words italian, armed and/or forces:
“Until recently the word fascist was considered shameful. Fortunately, that period has passed. In fact, there is now a reassessment of how much grandpa Benito did for Italy.”
—Alessandra Mussolini, Italian actor, politician, and medical student. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 19 (February 17, 1992)
“He could pause in his cross-examination, look at a man, projecting his face forward by degrees as he did so, in a manner which would crush any false witness who was not armed with triple courage at his breast,—and, alas! not unfrequently a witness who was not false.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)
“I’ve learned one thing about life. We’re a good deal like that ball, dancing on the fountain. We know as little about the forces that move us, and move the world around us, as that empty ball does.”
—Ardel Wray, Edward Dien, and Jacques Tourneur. Dr. Galbraith(James Bell)