NATO, Italy takes command of the Allied Reaction Force with NRDC-ITA

As anticipated in this March article, NRDC-ITA, commanded by General C.A. Paracadutista Lorenzo D'Addario, has officially taken command of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF) for the next three years. The inauguration ceremony was held at the NRDC-ITA operational headquarters in Solbiate Olona. Present were General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, General C.A. Paracadutista Carmine Masiello.

The event saw the participation of the Commanders of the NATO units that will form the ARF, particularly the 1 UK Division, ESP JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command), ESP JFAC (Joint Force Air Component), CFSpCC (Combined Force Space Component Commander), ITMARFOR (Italian Maritime Forces), and SOFCOM (Allied Special Operations Forces Command), which in a multinational and multidomain context will contribute to supporting the Alliance in fulfilling its three main tasks: deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.

During the ceremony, General Cavoli praised the work done by civilian and military personnel in establishing the ARF Command, highlighting the importance of the new role. General Masiello emphasized the professional and human qualities necessary to face the current international security situation.

NRDC-ITA, in its role as ARF, provides SACEUR with an immediate crisis response capability. In this context, it has carried out a series of activities including exercises, academic studies, and specific training that culminated last May in the Steadfast Deterrence 24 exercise, during which it received formal validation. Further exercises will also be conducted in Europe at the end of 2024 and both in 2025 and 2026. ARF is a completely new concept, stemming from a political decision made at the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023 to enable SACEUR to have readily deployable forces (in all domains), to achieve results more immediately than in the past, and to provide an effective response to potential crisis situations in all types of operations.

The leadership of the ARF by NRDC-ITA confirms Italy's commitment to the Alliance and the defense of the Euro-Atlantic area. NRDC-ITA, with its operational headquarters in Solbiate Olona and institutional headquarters in Milan, is a multinational command composed of 75% Italian personnel and 25% military from 19 other nations. Since October 1, 2016, NRDC-ITA has been under the direct command of the Chief of Staff of the Army.