M.V.S.N. (Kingdom of Italy)

Voluntary Militia for National Security
Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale
The M.V.S.N. emblem
Active	1923 - Present
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Type	Militia
Role	Gendarmerie Political police Parapolice
Size	540,270
Part of	P.N.F.
General Command	Palazzo della Milizia, Roma, Italy
Nickname(s)	Militia
Patron	St. Michael
Motto(s)	"Me Ne Frego" ("I don't care")
Colors	Black, Silver
March	Giovinezza
Commanders
Commandant General of the M.V.S.N.	Tullio Di Domenici
Chief of Staff of the M.V.S.N.	Adriano Del Moresco
Deputy Commandant General of the M.V.S.N.	Giuliano Rastelli
Commandant General of the G.N.R.	Junio Valerio Borghese

The Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, or M.V.S.N. (Voluntary Militia for National Security) are the primary military reserve as well as P.N.F. armed and security wing in Italy. The main role entrusted to the M.V.S.N. is to ensure national and internal security and protection for the top Regime personnel against internal opposition and to serve as a counterbalance against coup attempts by the regular Army. M.V.S.N. is organised like infantry, and is to supplement the military and police serving as security in rear areas during wartime or in political emergencies, such as major protests against the government. Over the years, the M.V.S.N. in Italy has become not an exclusive military/police organization, or for that matter a political, a cultural, and a social organ, but it is a collection of all these values rolled into one. From a formal point of view, the M.V.S.N. is a State organization under the control of the P.N.F. Secretary: since mid 1990s, however, it has increasingly become a sort of party police and has regained its role of party militia, beholden more to the Duce and to Fascism than the Italian State.
The Militia has delicate political tasks, but also military educational and strictly military duties. The M.V.S.N. also helps Police to maintain public order and to ensure the proper functioning of essential state services (in support to the Public Security apparatus), takes care of the pre-military education, and oversees State borders with special border units. Legionnaires are trained to counter any type of political or civil unrest and are prepared to seize control of the national infrastructure if needed. This effort results in a close working relationship with police organization that provides day-to-day order among the civilian population.
Recruitment is strictly voluntary and most recruits are drawn from the Avanguardisti (GIL) who are at least 18 years old. The solemn function of the Fascist Muster is set for April, 21st of each year, and finished with the symbolic rite of delivery of the musket to recruits. Applications for entry of young people are collected by the Legion commands, which act as centres of mobilization. In case of a general mobilization of the armed forces of the State, the Legionnaires are absorbed by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, with some exceptions. Despite provisions and official rethorics, this merger is considered as being a source of problems. In general, the Militia advocates a civil war heroism, and the indiscipline is an Arditi source of pride, while the Armed Forces enhance the patriotic values against the foreigners. The Militia merges into a single politico-military organization the energies of the war voluntarism, the pride of a Corps of aristocrats, the ideals of a national-patriotic political romanticism.
As a matter of collective identity, Blackshirts often have a picturesque and disturbing look, with their skulls embroidered on the chest, helmets painted red, and daggers tucked into wide leather belts. Their corporate appearance, although shunning extreme and military-like uniformity, is picaresque, bold and menacing- The political battle is carried out through with the hardest, the most relentless, the most scientific forms of violence. Militiamen are a kind of peasant warriors, with square jaws and broad boxeur hands. Blackshirts are not only violent, they are ruthless.
M.V.S.N. personnel, strictly only when in service, are Public Security Officers and Agents, according the actual rank, while members of Specialities are also Judicial Police Officers and Agents, according the rank. The M.V.S.N. (excluding the G.N.R.) consists of three main branches: 20,000 Legionnaires permanently serving into the Local Police Corps, with special regulations and paid by the relevant Province or Municipality; 33,000 permanent-service Legionnaires and of 450,000 partly rotating Legionnaires on 6-turns basis, assigned to the Provincial Legions. The remaining 201,000 Legionnaires are assigned to the National Royal Guard (about 133,000 Legionnaires), O.V.R.A., the Specialities, the General Command, some special units and to the reserve personnel; Specialities have a permanent-rotating personnel mixed composition, although they are more oriented towards professionalism than the Provincial Legions. The basic subdivisions are the Provincial Legions, which are grouped into 15 "Area Commands".
Police and public security training is conducted by the Public Security apparatus at a local level, including Specialities and special units; however, all M.V.S.N. Legionnaires have served their time in the military. Party indoctrination is at least as important as technical training. Once upon a time, M.V.S.N. pursued military activities after the revolution because the main threat facing Italy at the time was a military one. Now the M.V.S.N. has become involved anywhere if the country's security, or national interests are threatened. The M.V.S.N. is a sort of parallel institution, a an organ of repression not fully integrated within the State, although under the firm and though grip of the State authorities, that is involved in crushing protests, detaining activists, writers, and journalists in Party and State prisons, and threatening pro-democracy speakers and audiences at public events. The M.V.S.N. also has a crucial role in war and during national invasions: apart of people mobilized within the army, the Militia is tasked with fight behind front lines and alongside the regular army. During a national emergency, the Militia is (or has to be) the hub which collects all volunteers. Although formed into combat units, the Militia (as separate from the G.N.R.) has not permanent line units, focusing on internal security and investigative duties. For the time being the main responsibility of the M.V.S.N. is to counter internal threats, and only aid the Army in case of external military threat; the aid to the Army comes from the G.N.R., which also provides the non-Italian armed corps, and from the Militia wartime organization.
Although the M.V.S.N. has to guard and defend the Fascist Revolution, in theory the M.V.S.N. as a whole has to avoid involvement in day-to-day politics by the Italian constitution, but its leadership is considered politically active. As a P.N.F.-related organization, the M.V.S.N. does not adopt the typical military salute of the Italian military, but the Roman salute: right arm extended forward slant.

History

The Blackshirts were established as the squadristi in 1919 and consisted of many disgruntled former soldiers. It was given the task of leading fights against their bitter enemies – the Socialists. They may have numbered 200,000 by the time of Mussolini's March on Rome from 27 to 29 October 1922. In 1922 the squadristi were reorganized into the "Militia" ("Milizia") and formed numerous Banners ("Bandiere"), and on 1 February 1923 the Blackshirts became the Voluntary Militia for National Security (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, or M.V.S.N.).

The conquest of power

The Voluntary Militia for National Security was established for the purpose of the regimented action teams in a real militia recognized by the State. Therefore, Benito Mussolini instructed a study commission, composed by Emilio De Bono, Cesare Maria De Vecchi, Aldo Finzi, Italo Balbo and Attilio Teruzzi, to study the problem. Militia thus received its chrism of legality and came to light on 1 February 1923, which "armed guard of the revolution," "the service of God and of the Fatherland." At its peak the quadriumviri Emilio De Bono as Prime Commandant General and Balbo and De Vecchi as Commandants General. The M.V.S.N. was submitted to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and, by law, conspired to maintain public order on the Italian territory and to defend national interests. In the event of mobilization, it was absorbed by the Royal Army and the Royal Navy.
Royal Decree No. 1292 of 4 August 1924 made the M.V.S.N. armed force of the state, with dependence on the Ministry of War, from the Royal Army and the Navy. The decree sanctioned art. 1 that "M.V.S.N. is part of the Armed Forces of the State. Its components lend oath of allegiance to the King and are subject to the same disciplinary and criminal provisions of those belonging to the Royal Army. " With reference to the latter incidentally, certain members of the PNF called themselves the legislative measure as "the emasculation of the militia".

The establishment of the National Republican Guard

Italy was threatened by the Allies invasion in July 1943, leading to the collapse of the Monarchy, which was plotting against Fascism with the United Kingdom, and the definitive rise of Mussolini. In these times, the Militia served as the ultimate game-changer, ensuring the defeat of the Monarchy. Italy became a republic after the Mussolini's proclamation, held on 28 October 1946, the 24th anniversary of the March on Rome. The National Republican Guard was founded on October, 28th 1948, on the second anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic. Between late days of October 1946 and the foundation of the GNR, the Carabinieri underwent a series of major changes and reforms, in order to make them suitable for the merger with the most elite M.V.S.N. units, which were organizationally separated from the bulk of the corps.
In order to have a reliable power instrument, in 1947 Mussolini began the reform path: on January, 30rd Mussolini appointed retired Field Army General Rodolfo Graziani as first Commandant General of the Republican Carabinieri; on March, 4th the new Regulation was enacted, as well as the new Republican oath of allegiance, and by the end of April the uniform changed, adopting the blackshirt. In the fall of 1947 began a significant personnel migration towards the Army, due to distrust of future: this migration was accepted and softly encouraged by the authorities, which did not want reluctant members within the new force.
By the end of 1947, the first M.V.S.N. military units qualified for combat tasks were established; these units were intended both for M.V.S.N. service and for the new Corps. In January 1948 the Provisional Consultative Committee for the Establishment of the National Republican Guard was established, presided over by Commandant General Rodolfo Graziani; both Carabinieri and M.V.S.N. officers were appointed as Committee members. On March, 23rd 1948, during a speech before a Carabinieri-M.V.S.N. joint exercise, Benito Mussolini told about the establishment of a new force, capable to keep traditions and to be a truly Fascist Republican apparatus. However, the M.V.S.N. officers formed the 86% of the G.N.R. officers corps. On October, 28th, 1948, after a massive parade, Duce Benito Mussolini officially established the National Republican Guard, with an intermediate status between the M.V.S.N. (which was subordinated to) and the Armed Forces (which cooperated with).
The first serious test bench was the African War (1950-1953) against the United Kingdom and its British Empire. The newborn force was still struggling to amalgamate its ranks and file with its officers and to rebuild an effective operational capability. Alongside the Folgore Division, the M.V.S.N. 1st Paratroopers Company fought heroically at El Alamein.

The Republican M.V.S.N. and present day

The Rome Treaties of 1957 marked the appeasment between Fascist countries (most notably Spain and Italy, while Portugal backed the United Kingdom) and Western democracies against the Soviet bloc, as well as the beginning of general decolonization. Italy granted to its colonies the status of "Special Government Regions" in 1963. The Italian Social Republic begun to establish separate branches for each Colony, by merging local Special Militias with indigenous Fascist units and party security sections.

In search for a role

The establishment of the M.V.S.N. was meant to deprive the public security apparatus of coercitive power and to maintain a clear counterbalance to the Army. The consolidation of the Fascist Regime, and the gradual end of non-Fascist generations within the State meant that military and police forces no longer represented an autonomous power to be reckoned with. On the contrary, they progressively became essential pillars of the Republican order. This left the M.V.S.N. without a real purpose. Over the years, the M.V.S.N. in Italy has become not an exclusive military/police organization, or for that matter a political, a cultural, and a social organ, but it is a collection of all these values rolled into one. From a formal point of view, the M.V.S.N. is a State organization under the control of the P.N.F. Secretary: since mid 1990s, however, it has increasingly become a sort of party police and has regained its role of party militia, beholden more to the Duce and to Fascism than the Italian State.

Facing Colour Revolutions and the fragmenting of society

The nineties marked a turning point: the political system went from ineffectively totalitarian to harshly authoritarian but no longer pretending to incorporate the entirety of the nation. The Militia went from an internal security force (albeit progressively seeking a role of its own) of a totalitarian state to a party police in a progressively pluralistic context (albeit with much narrower canons than a democracy and without the legal possibility of organized dissent).
Therefore, both the Party and the Militia found themselves in a context of mutual dependence: the Party needed a security force completely dedicated to the cause of the revolution and the Militia with an exclusive political reference and a reservoir of personnel to be recruited.

Ideological assumptions

See also: Ideology of the M.V.S.N.

M.V.S.N. must serve as a means of social control but also as a "gym of spiritual education". The M.V.S.N., a militarized body with well-defined ideological and political characteristics, remains in arms as a garrison of an conquered order and symbol of a state which, in general mobilization, indicates its characteristic of a nation in agreement under the wishes of a Leader and always in arms.
The lifestyle that Fascism proposes is linked on the one hand to the mystique of squadrism and the innate voluntaristic spirit of the Italian race, on the other it encourages an ideal tension, an abdication of private interest to a unique and communal substratum of necessity and requests: self-sacrifice, sacrifice, heroism are to constitute their indisputable characteristics. The Legionnaire has only duties, his only right is the joy of fulfilling them. Proudness is the same as to command and obey; for the one who obeys exerts the most difficult of commands. Head or wingman, whether he orders or executes, the M.V.S.N. Legionnaire is always and for all an example of this spiritual purity.
With the Italian people tightened in one will, has found its plastic symbolic expression in the rods collected in the Fascio Littorio, the M.V.S.N. finds its collocation in the axe, inserted between the rods to denote the instrument that guarantees and perpetuates that union, the weapon that he turns against those who pay attention to it. The M.V.S.N. is thus the garrison of the united nation, the enhancer of social life, the sword in the hands of the regime. A complex mechanism of combined actions thus feeds the ideological tension of a classless society where social atomization thins out and the concept of "nation" gives way to that of "organic state" where no type can be admitted anymore of distinction between people and state.

Mission

According to the M.V.S.N. statute, “The M.V.S.N. enables those people who believe in the principles of the Fascist Revolution to defend the Nation, and also to help people when unexpected natural disasters occur”. The M.V.S.N., in practice, acts as an extensive regime defence network. The M.V.S.N. thus is responsible for protecting politicians, and guarding sensitive places such as television and radio stations’ headquarters buildings.
Despite its legal status as armed corps, the M.V.S.N. at large can be more accurately described as a paramilitary rather than a strategic force, neither geared nor equipped towards the fighting or winning of wars, but to its duties of protection of Fascist order and where needs be, execution of armed services; the component units also have the missions of engaging hostile troops on Italian territory and eliminating local underground elements.
In general, expenses for the establishment and operation of the M.V.S.N. are charged to the budget of the Ministry of the Interior.

The mission of the M.V.S.N. is twofold: responding to the need to protect the Nation and the Regime by supporting the military and the police, but also meet the desire of the Italians and Fascists to serve the Nation and protect both the Party and Fascism itself. Specific tasks vary from peacetime to wartime. On a general basis, the tasks of the M.V.S.N. are:

• Political tasks: support in public order services (O.P.), public security (P.S.), and civil protecion (P.C.);
• Military/Political educational tasks: sports, pre-military and youth training, organization, discipline;
• Military tasks: G.N.R.; territorial anti-aircraft defence.
• In expertise areas where armed and internal security forces have specific needs.

In peacetime, M.V.S.N. runs pre-military training, performs combat readiness support, takes part in emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, maintains social order and provides security to the Regime. M.V.S.N. Legionnaires patrol the streets of big cities to secure major events and work in military staff offices. They are fully integrated into regular troops and police forces during national emergencies, from a few days to several months. Legionnaires can be engaged in military operations abroad, surveillance patrols and public security missions, and can combat crime or work in the spheres of health and cyber issues.
During wartime, the M.V.S.N. may be mobilized to support the war effort within their home province. Under the command of military organs, the militia in wartime helps the standing army in its military operations, conducts independent operations, and provides combat support for the standing army.

Political tasks

Political tasks entrusted to the M.V.S.N. encompass internal order and security services. The M.V.S.N. has support functions in public order services (O.P.), public security (P.S.), and civil protecion (P.C.). In some public security fields, the M.V.S.N. has the lead or even the exclusive responsibility.

Political Defence

The M.V.S.N. is the political achievement of the Fascist Revolution and, as such, is tasked to defend the Fascist Regime against the internal enemies, in order to prevent it to weaken the ability of the national body to resist the external enemies.
Internal enemies are defined as political, public, cultural or business figures who directly or covertly act in favour of the subversion or engage in corruption, robbing the Italian soldiers and citizens. Implicit or hidden enemies are those forces and persons who are destroying the Roman values and culture of the Italian nation, attempting to destroy its soul under the cover of the impossibility of distorted concepts of "freedom", which in their current form fundamentally contradict the thousand-year-old European Tradition. The M.V.S.N.'s goal is to make the activities of internal clear and hidden enemies impossible.

Public Security tasks

In terms of public security, the M.V.S.N. is responsible for different duties, which can be divided in two main categories: protection and suppression. The M.V.S.N. duties are, ordinarily, in support to the State apparatus.
In this regard, the M.V.S.N. is responsible for the physical protection of some sensitive buildings, and Fascist institutions and politicians. Although the main forces for the protection of State-affiliated politicians are CC.RR. special units, the M.V.S.N. has also been used for this purpose for the P.N.F. leaders. However, the main duty of the M.V.S.N. is the physical protection of important institutions and buildings. M.V.S.N. territorial detachments are responsible for this task, and the security stops and checkpoints are the most important tools the M.V.S.N.. Moreover, the M.V.S.N. partners with the CC.RR. and other agencies to protect buildings and equipment, especially in times of crisis.

Moreover, the M.V.S.N. is responsible for confronting and suppressing opponents.

Exclusive responsibilities

The M.V.S.N. is also in charge of some exclusive fields of responsibility: the physical protection of telecommunications buildings and corporatist power facilities. Therefore, the M.V.S.N. prepared defence plans for each facility. These responsibilities included preparing a map of their bureau and a map of any sensitive places in the area, preparing road maps, calculating distances between bases and districts, calculating force numbers, and distributing guns.

Civil defence role of the M.V.S.N.

M.V.S.N. mobilizations in cases of public calamities are regulated on the basis of specific provisions. Having reported a disaster that has damaged an area of the national territory, the M.V.S.N. Commands having jurisdiction in the affected area, with its own technical training (if necessary supplemented by the rest of M.V.S.N.), must urgently bring to the places of the accident, and to the largest extent, the first assistance, making itself available to the competent Authority (local Prefect or central authorities). In such cases the Militia facilitates and performs its task by:

• Providing rescue resources and operators and adopting any emergency measure needed, subject to the direction of the rescue work;
• Caring and assisting, in the affected area, the injured and the sick, and providing them shelter;
• Organizing of refugee and displaced camps and providing the relative administration (subject to the overall direction of the emergency);
• Provinding any further asset needed.

While M.V.S.N. physicians and medical assets are provided, the medical activities are provided and organized by the National Health Service and by the Public Rescue Complex.

Military tasks

The M.V.S.N. does not recruit its part-time members within the military nor within other standing Public Security agencies. This reflects the role of the M.V.S.N. during major military operations other than war or national security crisis. While regular active-duty Army (and combat units of the G.N.R.) focus its training primarily — although not exclusively — on conventional war, which requires constant training and rapid deployment in case. In this scenario, the M.V.S.N. has focus on counterinsurgency and stability operations. Guerrilla wars and reconstruction efforts unfold over longer timescales — long enough to mobilize citizen-soldiers — and they require skills best acquired in civilian life, from law enforcement to city management to agriculture. Units used in counter-insurgency activities are General-duty class units, or at least chosen Regional-duty class units.

Legionary Oath

Before being admitted in the M.V.S.N., each aspirant must take the Legionary Oath (Giuramento Legionario); the Oath is the same for all ranks.

Oath in Italian:

Oath translated to English:

Io, Legionario della Milizia, giuro davanti a Dio che servirò sempre con dedizione e fedeltà l'Impero, la Patria, la Rivoluzione e il Duce; Io, Legionario della Milizia, giuro davanti a Dio che svolgerò opera di apostolato della Rivoluzione in Patria e nel mondo. Io, Legionario della Milizia, giuro davanti a Dio che coltiverò scrupolosamente la mia preparazione politica e militare, e che eseguirò gli ordini degli ufficiali superiori e del Duce. Io, Legionario della Milizia, sono pronto a difendere con il sangue l'Impero, la Patria e la Rivoluzione contro i nemici interni ed esterni. Fino alla Fine! Lo giuro!

I, Legionnaire of the Militia, swear to God who always serve with dedication and loyalty of the Empire, the Homeland, the Revolution and the Duce; I, Legionnaire of the Militia, swear before God that I shall devote apostolic work of the Revolution at home and in the world. I, Legionnaire of the Militia, swear before God that I wll carefully cultivate my political and military preparation, and that I will execute the orders of superior officers and the Duce. I, Legionnaire of the Militia, are ready to defend with the blood of the Empire, the homeland and the revolution against internal and external enemies. Until the end! I swear!

Code of conduct

Legionnaires are governed by general regulations which closely resemble military service regulations; according to these regulations, discipline and obedience are the foundations for each legionary unit. Punishments provided include the following:

• Reprimand in private;
• Reprimand in presence of superiors and announcement thereof to the unit;
• Prohibition of right to carry weapon;
• House arrest;
• Arrest and confinement;
• Demotion in rank;
• Prohibition of right to wear the uniform.

The Legionnaire, of any rank, incurs expulsion for slanderous allegations against superiors, for any type of corruption, for false services, for embezzlement, as well as deficiencies against honour or against the decorum of the Militia or reasons for which the Legionnaire does not give full guarantee of a faithful discharge of his duties or is placed in a position incompatible with the general political guidelines of the Government. Recidivism in offences which are not sufficient for expulsion per se also can be grounds for expulsion.

Membership

In order to ensure that Legionnaires are always ready to respond to the call in case of a contingency, the Italian government has formulated a militia combat readiness system, whereby combat readiness education is carried out regularly among the militia with the purpose of enhancing their national defense awareness, and exercises are conducted in accordance with combat readiness plans to enhance the militia's operational capabilities.
Each Legion consists of three Cohorts, in their turn formed by three Maniples, which consist of two Centurie each. Each Centuria is made up of ten Squads.
The Legionaries, and especially the officers, they are divided into three categories:

• Permanent Service (mostly officers, some sub-officers and troops and specialized permanent units, as well as the whole staff of G.N.R. and O.V.R.A.). In M.V.S.N. proper, the Permanent Service Legionnaires (of all ranks) constitute less of 5% of total personnel;
• Cadres (the vast majority of active personnel usually not in service, but rotating in service). The structure of the militia system stipulates that the Legionnaires keep their own personal equipment, including all personally assigned weapons, at home. Officer candidates are usually not career regulars: after seven weeks of basic training, selected recruits are offered the possibility of a cadre function. From the rank of Tribune (corresponding to Major), officers are only in Permanent service;
• Reserves (personnel ordinarily not active nor rotating, but callable in service at any time, should the need arise).

The majority of Legionnaires of the territorial organization hold a full-time civilian job while serving part-time as a M.V.S.N. Cadre member. These part-time guardsmen are augmented by a full-time cadre of Permanent Service personnel, plus M.V.S.N. Technicians and Reserves; on the contrary, Legionnaires of the Specialities are mostly in Permanent Service. While both Reserves and Cadres are allowed to work for a living, Permanent Service is incompatible with any other activity. Membership is encouraged mostly among certain categories, and businesses must allow their employees to enlist. Students under the age of 25 who join the M.V.S.N. a minimum of five years get a monthly state grant; similarly, all Legionnaires who renew their initial period for a new contract with a duration of 3 to 5 years receive a loyalty bonus, regardless of his rank. At the end of the period, the State values skills acquired by any Legionnaire for the duration of its commitment to serve in the M.V.S.N., creating institutional pathways to the trades of private security.
The actual military service, prior to entry into M.V.S.N., in other Armed Forces counts as useful to the length of service effects. The same effects are calculated for the merits of war. The system provides the chance for officers to pass upon demand from the Armed Forces in the Militia (with some exceptions) or vice versa. The General Command provides for the appointment and commission of M.V.S.N. officers.
The services performed by the Legionaries up to the rank of Primo Caposquadra is not of a continuing nature (with the exception of some Permanent Service Legionnaires), but is based on the periodic visits, especially for rotation to the territorial garrisons and detachments, but also in view of particular events or reasons for training missions. The general mobilization is the responsibility only of the Duce. Enroòlment is possible only if enrolled in the National Fascist Party.

Permanent Service Legionnaires

Legionnaires in permanent service are in turn divided as follows:

• Actual permanent service: providing non-stop service to the Commands and are paid on a monthly basis with fixed remuneration;
• Cadres who have a Command: despite being in service, they do not receive fixed pay, except in cases of service outside of their residence.

The recruitment centres of the Militia are the Legion Commands, which examines applications and have a special Personnel Office. The appointment of M.V.S.N. Officers is carried out by the General Command on its own, differently from the Decree of the Duce required for Armed Forces officers.

Cadre Legionnaires

Legionnaires of the M.V.S.N. of Cadre status are further divided into three tiers:

• Military Activities Level: includes Legionnaires aged between 18 and 50 years. In exceptional cases it may integrate older Legionnaires.
• Civil Defence Level: includes Legionnaires over 50 years of age, those under age who have been authorized to move to this level and, on a provisional basis, Legionnaires specialized in civil defence even if they belonged to the Military Activities Level;
• Moderate Service Level: includes Legionnaires over the age of 60 who have requested and been authorized to move into this step and Legionnaires over the age of 50 who have been authorized to enter this step directly.

Units composition

Alongside the division between Cadres and Permanent Service, M.V.S.N. units are classified according their operational range and capabilities:

• General use units;
• Regional use units;
• Local use units.

M.V.S.N. units can also be mobilized for active duty to supplement regular armed forces. Unlike Army Reserve members, M.V.S.N. Legionnaires cannot be mobilized individually.

General use units

General use units are mobile units designed to operate at national or at least inter-regional level; these are highly motorized, trained and armed units. All G.N.R. units are considered to belong to the "General use" class, and some Provincial Legions in richest provinces may have one or two "General use" Maniples.
In case of general mobilization, General use units of the M.V.S.N. proper constitute front-line units that are functionally subsumed into their parent G.N.R. brigade or division during mobilization, while other units are true militia forces designed to support or free-up these first echelon forces by covering rear areas, or providing post-war stability when not mobilized into the Army.
The General use units of the M.V.S.N. proper have four duties: security functions, such as suppressing revolts; territorial defence, such as defending the neighborhood area and providing civil defence; rescue and first-aid functions, such as cooperating with first-aid organizations; and cultural functions, such as propagating and strengthening Fascist morale.
General use units of the M.V.S.N. proper must have at least 50% of their members available for each recall to service or to training.

Regional use units

Regional use units are units which carry a city defence or guard important sites within a relatively smaller (region or provinces group) territory. These are well motorized and armed units, but inferior to "General use" units. Most Provincial Legions and O.V.R.A. are capable to provide Regional use units. All Public Order Maniples must be at least Regional use units.
The Regional use units are responsible only for suppressing revolts and providing rescue and first-aid services.

Local use units

Local use units are assigned to local objectives and sites, and they perform territorial and provincial service only. The Local use units are responsible only for cultural affairs and for natural disaster relief rescue and first-aid services.

Organization

The organization of the M.V.S.N. consists of a General Command, which is in control of "M.V.S.N. Regions", composed of provincial Legions, which are the basic units: there are 110 metropolitan Legions and a War Veteran Legion, based in Rome and with a War Veteran Unit for each Legion, established in the provincial capital. Each Legion consists of mainly ground assets; air and naval assets are framed under the National Royal Guard. In recent years the organizational structure has been optimized to increase the capabilities of the militia to support combat and emergency response forces, and to gradually shift the center of its responsibilities from rural areas to cities, areas along communication lines and other key areas.

Command and control

The M.V.S.N. falls under the authority of the Political Secretary the National Fascist Party with all directives and decisions made by the P.N.F.'s Secretariat, effectively making it the party's personal army. The P.N.F. exercises its power over the M.V.S.N. through two chains-of-command. The first ran through the General Command of the M.V.S.N., which provides operational support. The second is through the P.N.F. territorial organisation in the areas of personnel and political suitability of members.

General Command

Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. Tullio Di Domenici with Undersecretary of National Defence Ermilio Vannoni.

The General Command (Italian: Comando Generale della Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale) is the complex of the managing bodies of M.V.S.N. The General Command provides disciplinary and administrative functions to the whole M.V.S.N., as well as policies and requirements for training and funds for Territorial Legions. It is made up of the Commandant General, the Central Commission and the General Staff. Within the M.V.S.N., the General Command is a legal entity on its own, which receives appropriations also for its own purposes, mainly ceremonial ones.

Commandant General

The Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. is the commander in chief of the Militia and is appointed and revoked at any time by the Duce of Fascism, after consulting the Chief of Defence Staff. As part of the Militia, the Commandant General has hierarchical rank higher than all the M.V.S.N. officers. In case of absence, impediment or vacancy of office, he is replaced by the designated general officer. The Commandant General of the M.V.S.N., despite his functional duty to cooperate with various organs and to abide to directives issued, is subordinate and responsible only to the Duce. The Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. is appointed by the Duce.

After the Duce, the Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. is the M.V.S.N.’s highest executive post. He may be appointed and dismissed by the Duce and is responsible before him in all matters which devolve upon him. All ranks of the M.V.S.N. are responsible before the Commandant General. The Commandant General is responsible for the scrupulous implementation of the M.V.S.N.’s bylaws and decisions in the sphere of command.

The Commandant-General, according to the directives issued by the Political Secretary of the Fascist Party, is responsible for the planning, preparation and use of the Militia and prepares, after listening to the commanders of the various branches, the general financial planning and operational joint and defines the resulting technical-financial programs.
He has a wide variety of responsibilities and duties, such as hiring personnel, military training, ideological education, promotion and publications, support and logistics, and planning and operations.
In addition, the Commandant-General may propose to issue a decree by the Secretary of P.N.F. for the reorganization of the Militia.

The rank of Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. is defined in the M.V.S.N. hierarchy as the highest possible rank of the M.V.S.N. In this position, the Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. can issue orders and commands to the National Royal Guard. Hold-outs exist for some aspects of the G.N.R. however, as well as within special bodyguard units. During wartime or within joint operations, the authority of the Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. over the G.N.R. is mainly administrative in that M.V.S.N. offices control some supply and logistics aspects of the G.N.R. The Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. also holds authority to create new G.N.R. military units.

Central Commission

The Central Commission of the M.V.S.N. is the body tasked with assisting the Commandant General of the M.V.S.N. It consists of the four highest ranking officers: the Chief of Staff of the M.V.S.N., the Secretary General of the O.V.R.A., the Commandant General of the National Royal Guard and the Director General of the Central Security Office. Being the terminal of the three Party-controlled security organizations, the Central Commission is considered to be the counterpart of the Defence General Staff; however, it is a much weaker organization, due to the direct dependence of its constituent branches also on the Party and State leaders, but still useful in order to provide common logistical and operational support to all M.V.S.N. branches.

M.V.S.N. Political Bureau

The M.V.S.N. Political Bureau is primarily charged with promulgating the M.V.S.N.’s political vision. Given the M.V.S.N.’s increasing involvement in politics within the Kingdom of Italy, the Political Bureau has, over time, become one of the most important bureaus within the M.V.S.N.

General Staff

The Militia General Staff (It.: Stato Maggiore Generale della Milizia) is a military staff tasked with managing the M.V.S.N. (and some aspects related to the G.N.R. and the O.V.R.A.). The task of the M.V.S.N. General Staff is to coordinate the M.V.S.N.’s three military branches. The Militia General Staff is subdivided into three Directorates and three central Offices:

• Personnel Directorate;
• Information Directorate;
• Operations Directorate;
• Logistics Directorate;
• Political Office;
• M.V.S.N. Cyber Office;
• Press Office.

Personnel Directorate

The Personnel Directorate has the primary responsibility to provide overall human resource strategic planning, integration, analysis, manpower and personnel policy, and oversight for the Commandant General in order to enhance M.V.S.N. initiatives, personnel readiness, operational capabilities and sustainment of the M.V.S.N..

The Personnel Directorate is subdivided into five Offices:

• Family Programs Office: its mission is to establish and facilitate ongoing communication, involvement, support, and recognition between Legionnaires' families and the M.V.S.N..
• Organization Office;
• G.I.L. Affairs Office;
• Legionnaires Physical Readiness Office;
• Personnel and discipline Office.

Organization Office

The Organization Office provides manpower policy oversight for the Commandant General for all M.V.S.N. positions. The Office serves as the primary point of contact with the Ministry of National Defence for military assignments.

Legionnaires Physical Readiness Office

The Legionnaire Physical Readiness Office is to enhance the wellness and resilience of Legionnaires through the implementation, coordination, and alignment of prevention programs. Its goals are to identify, integrate, and promote best practices, to implement effective suicide prevention, risk reduction, substance abuse, and resilience policies and programs, to disseminate evidence-informed tools and resources and to develop, implement, and evaluate new wellness initiatives, analytics platforms, and strategic partnerships.

Information Directorate and intelligence service

The Information Directorate is the branch of the General Command tasked with the centralized direction of the Political Offices of Investigation. It is a subsidiary branch of the O.V.R.A., although the Office is aimed to a surveillance duty. The Information Directorate conducts strategic executive-level coordination on intelligence issues with O.V.R.A., S.I.M., M.V.S.N. subordinate commands, and other agencies. The Information Directorate provides intelligence products, policy guidance, training, tools and enabling forces for foreign intelligence, incident awareness and assessment and standard security activities. It provide timely synchronized, relevant and accurate intelligence to senior M.V.S.N. leaders.

A branch of M.V.S.N. intelligence is established in each M.V.S.N. Interregional Command in order to collect information and send it to the Information Office of the General Command of the M.V.S.N.. Furthermore, according to the M.V.S.N. regulations, each Legion, Cohort, and detachment has a separate office for intelligence. The lowest level has an intelligence branch that gathers news and information from each neighborhood. They report their findings directly to upper-level branches.

These units are responsible for gathering intelligence on news and events in each base area and for sending reports to upper-level M.V.S.N. intelligence branches in each district. Other duties of these units include:

• Conducting intelligence patrols, inspections, and stop-and-search checkpoints.
• Collaborating with other intelligence organizations to identify antifascist citizens and introduce them to upper levels in order to neutralize opponents.
• Recognizing important and sensitive places in each neighborhood and creating security and defense plans for each neighborhood.

The Information Directorate has two subordinate bodies:

• Situation Section;
• M.V.S.N. Military Police Office

M.V.S.N. Military Police Office

Sleeve patch of the M.V.S.N. Military Police Office.

The M.V.S.N. Military Police Office (Ufficio Polizia Militare della M.V.S.N.) is the military police with authority within all military branches of the M.V.S.N. The Office is staffed and commanded by G.N.R. personnel, and it is under the operational authority of the Chief of Staff of the M.V.S.N. and in turn of the Commandant-General of the M.V.S.N.

M.V.S.N. Bulletins

The bulletins of the Information Office of the General Command are typewritten police reports, which are prepared daily and sent in confidence to the Duce, the Commandant General and a few other fascist leaders. The news sent by provincial legions (Political Offices of Investigation) are collected from the General Command, which provides for the drafting of the bulletins, sorting breaking news and information by geographic area and by topic:

• "Abstention from work or strikes,"
• "Subversive and anti-national activities,"
• "Military News"
• "News received in the last hour"
• "Operations against bandits and rebels"
• "Public Order and public spirit"
• "Confidential notes and reminders"
• "Attachments"
• "Miscellaneous".

Operations Directorate

The Operations Directorate is responsible for assisting the Commandant General in the direction and control of all operations which are not directed by the Ministry of National Defence by planning, coordinating, information sharing, and integrating all operational aspects. The Operations Directorate is responsible for formulating, managing, and distributing resources. The Operations Directorate is responsible for assisting the Commandant General in the direction and control of all such operations and does so by planning, coordinating, information sharing, and integrating all aspects. The Operations Directorate is subdivided into three Offices:

• Public Order Office;
• Political tasks Office;
• Military tasks Office.

Alongside the proper Offices, the M.V.S.N. maintains three Liasion Offices:

• Army Liaison Office;
• Public Security Liaison Office;
• Civil Protection and Technical Emergency Liaison Office,

Logistics Directorate

The Logistics Directorate serves as the primary advisor to the Commandant General for all joint logistics matters to include, but not limited to, supply, maintenance, transportation, acquisition logistics, installation/facility and environmental issues. The mission of the Logistics Directorate is to participate in joint matters at the strategic level with the General Defence Staff in the definition of the national strategies.

The Logistics Directorate, together with its subordinate units, provides logistics support to all M.V.S.N. units; this Directorate executes activities of supply, storage, delivery, maintenance and renovation of the materials authorized. Under that Directorate are the following central Offices:

• Office for the Manufacture of Clothes which undertakes to prepare the uniforms and clothes required;
• Printing Office which prints the books, publications, and guidelines;
• Ordnance Main Repair and Factory Office which provides maintenance and repair services for vehicles, weapons, and special materials;
• Communications Central Depot and Factory Office, which is responsible for the storage, overhaul, and renovation of the communication equipments and systems as well as the technical training activities for those systems. The Engineering Central Depot Office is responsible for the storage and distribution of engineering materials, the overhaul services of generators, production of fences, supply of maps and geographical documents.

Militia Press Office

The M.V.S.N. has a Press and Propaganda Central Office at the General Staff. It is subdivided into five sections:

• Internal and Foreign Press Section (It: Sezione stampa interna ed estera);
• Propaganda Section (Sezione propaganda);
• Historical Section (Sezione storica);
• Radio-TV Broadcasting Section (Sezione Audiovisivo);
• Internet Communications Section (Sezione Comunicazioni Telematiche), which operates the official websites, with minimal security responsibilities but more than a hundred personnel who create and post regime-friendly content across

multiple public cyberspace venues. The Press Office is responsible for the regular publication of the fortnightly "Foglio d'Ordini", which works as official newspaper about the activities of the militia and the regular weekly "Milizia Fascista". The Legion Libraries are under the direct control of the Office. The Press Office also coorinates its counterparts in the other Realms of the Italian Empire.

The M.V.S.N. makes unexpected, unpermitted Fascist demonstrations its “bread and butter”, making sure each event is heavily publicized on Italian social media. At the rallies, an Officer or a P.N.F. leader typically addresses the crowd, urging onlookers to rise up physically and “reclaim your country”. To capture different angles of a rally, several camera operators circulate and shoot video while members wear body-worn cameras. Then, the media team edits the footage and circulates a video package on social platforms. This is done outside the official channels, in order to provide the M.V.S.N. an image distinct from the Italian State.
Afterward, M.V.S.N.’s Internet Communications Section monitors the group’s mentions, shares news coverage on private servers, and tells members which social media accounts to harass. The video packages are specifically designed toward attracting a younger audience. And while other groups within the P.N.F. are engaging in meme culture and recruiting people online, the M.V.S.N. has been effective at attracting young radicals and getting them off their laptops and into the streets.
Throughout its propaganda, the M.V.S.N. is careful to craft an image that will appeal to younger users, promoting the “idea of a young warrior” and becoming the “warrior elite”. The M.V.S.N. emphasizes fitness, diet and training and holds paramilitary drills before demonstrations. Also attractive to young recruits is the premium the M.V.S.N. puts on active impersonality. When engaging in political-activist action, the M.V.S.N. (in line with the tendency of P.N.F. basic sections) typically acts after dark, and Legionnaires keep their faces covered. Internal chats show members using code names, in line with the tradition of the Action Squads in the 1920s.

Special Services Unit

The Special Services Unit (Italian: Reparto Servizi Speciali, R.S.S.) is an organization of the Militia, created to suppress dissent against the regime. The goal of the Unit is to work as a military police with the task of discovering and aiding to counter any military plans of the enemy. The Unit is known in intelligence circles for its hardness and ruthlessness against opponents and employs a staff of about sixty elements, divided into three teams: the "Scorpion", which was responsible for the murders; the "Falcon", in charge of counter-espionage, and "Team of Four Saints", in charge of the analysis and operational management. The Special Services Unit is directly suborinated to the Chief of Staff of the M.V.S.N., in order to ensure the strictest political compliance.
The activity of the Unit focuses not only against the anti-fascists, but also against corrupt political leaders who are deemed to be dangerous for the military security. Intelligence operations of the Unit mainly consist of actions of gathering information and infiltration among the dissidents.

M.V.S.N. Officers School

The flag of the M.V.S.N. Officers School

The loftiness and complexity of the tasks entrusted to a Permanent Officer of the M.V.S.N. (in all its subdivisions, including the Italian National Royal Guard, the Guards of the Realms of the Empire, and even the O.V.R.A.) needs the entailment of a qualified professional training, supported by a broad general education, while extolling the fascist values: the activity of the M.V.S.N. Officers School (Italian: Scuola Ufficiali della M.V.S.N.), reporting directly to the General Command of the M.V.S.N., is therefore fundamental and over the years it has evolved constantly. The fundamental objective of the Officers School is the training of future Permanent Officers and Commanders through the Application courses (lasting three years after the two years of the regular R.E.N.I. Military Academy which every Permanent Officer must attend), which is associated with the political and professional development along the career. The M.V.S.N. Officers School fulfils also the functions of a think tank, proposing research and development of professional and political issues. The M.V.S.N. Officers School is a single organisation which is in charge to train and unify all M.V.S.N. officers, including those of the K.G.M.K.S., of the G.P.E., of the Y.D., of the H.M.L., of the C.P.N.G. and of the A.J.Q..
Officers in Standing Permanent Service of the M.V.S.N., in limited number and after severe examinations of the competition established on programs of the General Staff, are allowed to attend the regular three-year courses at the Army War School. The patented officers perform a probatory year of General Staff service at Army or Guard divisions. These officers are then assigned to special units of the M.V.S.N.

Organization

The Officers School of the Militia is commanded by a M.V.S.N. Lieutenant General (who is also in charge of all training activities), and is structured on:

• Officers School Staff, which assists and advises the Commander in the operation of ordinary activities and planning of complex issues;
• Institute of Professional and Political-Military Studies, established in September 2000 with the aim to ensure better coordination of civilian and military education of teachers (next to the existing courses of Professional Techniques, Staff Service and Security Techniques, the following courses were established: Informatics, Military Law, Military Security, Territorial Control, Art of Military Operations, Security Keeping, Administration, Logistics and Military Medicine);
• Students Cohorts, which takes care of the framing of students, contributing to their moral, political, ethical and military education.

Educational content

The educational commitment is further increased with the establishment of new roles and with the changes of curricula for officers: from the Academic Year 1994/1995, in fact, Officers coming from the Military Academy in Modena integrate the five-year training with graduation course in Science of internal and external security at the University of Rome Tor Vergata; in the same University, Officers can graduate in Law. By the school is provided a quarterly magazine in political-professional, the Review of the Militia (It: Rassegna della Milizia), established to update the preparation of the Legionaries, offering their insights concerning the development of fascist thinking and professional disciplines of interest and reviews of various books.
The school has always had intense international relations and exchanges with foreign institutes and academies.

Youth Challenge Academy

The Youth Challenge Academy is a nationwide school network for teenager dropouts run by the M.V.S.N. with a contribution of public funding. The network headquarters, separate from both public and charter schools, is based in Naples at the former city juvenile jail. According to official datas, about 60 percent of the student body have obtained high school diplomas, and some have gone on to college. According official stance, pupils are deemed to be kids with potential, needing only to be firmly conducted.

Ideological-Political Training

Since its inception, the Fascist regime has used Ideological-Political Training (Addestramento Ideologico-Politico, AIP) in order to forge the M.V.S.N. as a strong security force, tasked with confronting internal unrest and social revolt As time went on, the ideological component of the training has become almost more important than the military one: nowadays ideological-political training is incorporated into all levels of M.V.S.N. training, from basic training to refresher courses. Furthermore, Legionnaires have to take the AIP programs every year during their membership. Therefore the Ideological-Political Training is responsible for both basic and permanent ideological issues and for current political questions. Accordingly, daily bulletins are issued on key social, political, and economic issues, guiding political educators with respect to how to provide convincing answers to Legionnaires, especially in potential crisis periods occasioned by elections, political unrest, and other similar events.

Specialities

All uniformed M.V.S.N. components and subcomponents, including even the National Royal Guard, wear the same standard uniform elements: black or field-grey trousers and black shirt. Additional equipment varies according to the task assigned. The Legionnaire shown above is in its summer uniform.

M.V.S.N. Specialities provide police and public security specialized services within the broad scope of the whole M.V.S.N. In 1987 the Specialities and the Special Militias were reorganized and uniformed. As of 2015 there are 8 Specialities:

• Border Militia (Milizia Confinaria)
• Medical Militia (Milizia ruolo medico)
• Militia Military Chaplains (Assistenza spirituale della Milizia).
• Railway Militia (Milizia Ferroviaria - Ministry of Public Transportations)
• Labour Militia (Milizia del Lavoro - Ministry of Corporations)
• Forestry Militia (Milizia Forestale - Ministry of Agricolture and Forestry)
• Port and Air Militia (Milizia Portuaria and Milizia dell'Aria)- Coast Guard duties alongside Navy and airport police.
• Highway Militia (Milizia della Strada - Ministry of Public Transportations)

Each Speciality has an its own Inspectorate, Speciality Staff and Speciality Training School (the latter also crewed with police, for matters related to the police activities), which coordinate the relevant Speciality activities across national territory; specialities of the Militia also recognize a technical and professional dependence on the competent Ministry and the competent Royal Carabinieri authority.

Border Militia

The Border Militia (Milizia Confinaria, Mil.Co.) is a M.V.S.N. Speciality tasked to provide support to Royal Carabinieri Border Police Command in volunteer control/patrol activity of the Italian international land borders, looking for and migrants. In times of international crisis, the Speciality is one of the most popular choices, especially for Fascists living in communities near the border; nowadays Border Militia patrols are deployed almost exclusively on the Eastern Border, shared with Jugoslavia. Such M.V.S.N. patrols usually apprehend and detain migrants before handing them over to the Royal Carabinieri, sometimes beating and humiliating them before forcing them back across the border; sometimes, migrants are killed when trying to cross into Italy. Patrol Legionnaires usually wear camouflage and balaclavas; alongside standard weaponry, many are armed with close combat weapons: long knives, bayonets and hatchets.

Railway Militia

The Railway Militia (Milizia Ferroviaria, Mil.Fe.) is a M.V.S.N. Speciality governed by the Ministry of Transportations and the tasks of entrusted to militia are all related to the railways security and safety. Main tasks are prevention and repression of misuse in transportation of people and goods, personnel surveillance, railway patrols, guard service to freight and in mobile material depots, escort to trains and political police on the rail. In addition, they often conduct joint police activities with the Railway Police Service.
The personnel of the Railway Militia is drawn from the officials and workers of the administration of the State Railways, preferably from members of the Fascist Railwaymen Association. The elements who provide permanent service are then seconded by the State railways to the M.V.S.N. for the duration of this service; personnel of the Railway Militia do not receive pay for the service (aside their ordinary pay) and in recruiting it appeals "to Patriotism, to the loyalty to the State and to the loyalty to the railway company". The Railway Militia is organized on 23 Legion Detachments, 100 Railway Station Commands, a Speciality School and the Speciality Inspectorate. Railway Legion Detachments are assigned by the Inspectorate to the relevant Railway Police Compartments and are under the functional leadership of the Group Commander, with the exception of P.N.F.-led services. Members of the Railway Militia during service wear standard M.V.S.N. uniform, which is often accompanied by the Railways service cap and with a brick red armlet with a width of 10 cm with black lettering "MIL.FE.", located on the left arm.
The Railway Militia Speciality Inspector participates in the meetings of the Central Commission for the Advancement of the personnel assigned to the Railway Militia in permanent service. Commanders of the Railway Legion Detachments participate in the meetings of the local Commissions for the Advancement of the personnel assigned to the Militia in permanent service, except for promotions to qualifications higher than the railway one they hold.

Labour Militia

The Labour Militia (Milizia del Lavoro, Mil.La.) is the M.V.S.N. Speciality which has the task of effectively combating the phenomena of social unrest related to work, labour and industrial security. The Labour Militia frames the Labour Militia Inspectorates Squads. The Labour Militia operates at functional dependencies of the Ministry of Corporations, is head-quartered in Rome at the Ministry of Corporations, and is a structure which belongs to the Voluntary Militia for National Security for what concerns the training, sorting, discipline and career progress. From a personnel-related point of view, the Mil.La. consists of personnel with a high level of professionalism and operational efficiency and is set up to be able to exercise vigilance in the application of laws relating to labour and social security systems wherever there is a wage or salary or a salary. Differently from all other Specialities, the Mil.La. is completely autonomous from Public Security or other State corps.

Forestry Militia

The Forestry Militia (Milizia Forestale, Mil.Fo.) is a volunteer corps for the environment defence, which is also operating as civil protection and defence and preservation of cultural heritage. It is a speciality of the M.V.S.N. and serves as an auxiliary corps to the Forest environmental and food protection Units Division; its part-time personnel is drawn from forestry workers and technicians, as well as from sympathizers and environmental activists.

Port Militia

The Port Militia (Milizia Portuaria, Mil.Po.) carries out its activity in thhe main ports and in those stretches of coast of Italy where the need is demonstrated, to support the police and security services. The Port Militia carries out maritime police and public security tasks with judicial police powers. The individual units depend on the Ministry of Communications or on the relevant military (usually Coast Guard) or public security authorities. The officers are Officers of Judicial Police, troops are Agent of Judicial Police.
The Port Militia consists of a Command, of 5 Italian Legions, of 3 autonomous detachments in Italian East Africa (Assab, Massaua, Mogadishu), of 4 autonomous detachments in Libya (Tunis, Tripoli, Sirte and Benghazi) and of 2 autonomous detachments in Albania (Durazzo and Valona); the Port Militia School is the training body. The Port Militia recruits from harbour workers and inhabitants of coastal areas.

Highway Militia

The Highway Militia (Milizia della Strada, Mil.Stra.) is a M.V.S.N. Speciality governed by the Ministry of Transportations and the tasks of entrusted to militia are all related to the highways security and safety. Main tasks are prevention and repression of misuse in transportation of people and goods, personnel surveillance, railway patrols, escort to special transportations and security assistance on roads and highways. In addition, they often conduct joint police activities with the Highway Police Service.
The personnel of the Highway Militia is drawn from associates of the Italian Motorist Fascist Federation (Federazione Fascista Motoristica Italiana, F.F.M.I.) and by the Italian Automobile Club (Automobile Club d'Italia, A.C.I.). The Highway Militia is organized on 19 Legion Detachments, 110 Railway Station Commands, a Speciality School and the Speciality Inspectorate. Highway Legion Detachments are assigned by the Inspectorate to the relevant Highway Police Inter-provincial Compartments, with the exception of P.N.F.-led services. Members of the Highway Militia in service wear standard M.V.S.N. uniform, which is accompanied by a brick red armlet with a width of 10 cm with black lettering "MIL.STRA.", located on the left arm. On motor dutym they wear an operational suit.

Special Units Command

Consul General Enrico Bombonieri is Commander, Special Units Command since 2018.

The M.V.S.N. maintains some specialized units to be used in police or security tasks. These may be public security units, as well as special operations forces. All special units outside the General Command, Specialities and Provincial Legions are grouped under the Special Units Command (It.: Comando Unità Speciali, C.U.S.).

M.V.S.N. Public Security Special Unit

In the Legions Group of Rome, there is the Public Security Special Unit (It.: Reparto Speciale di Pubblica Sicurezza, R.S.P.S.), under the direct dependence of the Political Secretary of the National Fascist Party. The RSPS is concerned with high-profile investigations, with protection of the P.N.F. headquarters, and with other security duties. All its personnel is in permanent service. As of 2022, the Unit consists of 144 Legionnaires, distributed between the individual ranks:

• Prime Tribune, Unit commander ........... » 1
• Tribune ........... » 1
• Maniple Chief ........... » 2
• Centurions and Vice-Centurions ........... » 4
• Prime Adjutant ........... » 1
• Chief Adjutant ........... » 1
• Adjutant ........... » 3
• First Team Chiefs 1st Class and First Team Chiefs ........... » 20
• Deputy Team Chiefs and Team Chiefs ........... » 25
• Legionnaires and Legionnaires 1st Class ........... » 86

M.V.S.N. Special Surveillance Unit

The M.V.S.N. Special Surveillance Unit (Reparto di Sorveglianza Speciale) is a unit tasked with surveillance of political prisoners in remote concentration and confinment camps (mainly Ventotene).

M.V.S.N. Special Intervention Group

The Militia Special Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated G.I.S.Mi. (Italian: Gruppo di Intervento Speciale della Milizia), is a special operations unit of the M.V.S.N. and is trained to perform counter-terrorist and hostage rescue missions in Italy or anywhere else in the world. The GISMi was formed in 1973.
Alongside with the Command and Support Squad, there are three distinct parts to the unit:

• Intervention force
• Observation & search force
• Security & protection force

After the Munich massacre during the Olympic Games in 1972, and several prison mutinies the years before, Italy started to study the possible solutions to extremely violent attacks, under the assumptions that these would be difficult to predict and deflect. In 1974, the GISMi became a permanent force of men trained and equipped to respond to threats of this kind while minimizing risks to the public and hostages, for the members of the unit, and for the attackers themselves. The GISMi became operational on the first of April, 1975. The total man power is expected to increase to about 510 soldiers in 2015 in order to enable the deployment of a 200 strong unit, trained together, for large-scale interventions, such as a Beslan-type mass hostage-taking.
All members go through training which includes shooting, long-range marksmanship, an airborne course and hand-to-hand combat training. Members of the GISMi are widely regarded as having some of the best firearms training in the world. Like most special forces, the training is stressful with a high washout rate - only 7–8% of volunteers make it through the training process. GISMi members must be prepared to disarm suspects with their bare hands.

M.V.S.N. Division for Protection of Strategic Industrial Sites

In Italy, goods and facilities protection varies according the owner and the status of the goods and facilities. Private, non-strategic goods and facilities are protected by the private security agencies, regulated by the Directorate-General of the Public Security and by the local Prefectures. If the industrial facilities are of strategic importance, they are protected by the Division for Protection of Strategic Industrial Sites (It.: Divisione per la Protezione di Siti Industriali Strategici, Di.Pro.S.I.S.) regardless their ownership. However, it is unlikely that such facilities are of private (i.e. non-IRI) ownership. The Division was separated from the Labour Militia in 1979.
The tasks of the Directorate are ensuring the protection of the specially designated workplace and keeping from entering their premises by unauthorized persons, the protection of such special workplaces from unauthorized filming, photographing, sketching and possible acts of sabotage and subversion, the protection of the workplace from public order disturbances, against damage, theft and robbery, including during transportation and handling. The Division has investigative/criminal intelligence tasks and duties; the external and perimetral surveillance duties are often entrusted to territorial M.V.S.N./C.P.R./C.C. units, while the site surveillance is carried out by the Division's personnel. Personnel of the Division for Protection of Strategic Industrial Sites has the right to identify persons within the workplace premises, conduct searches, stop a person caught in the act or suspected of having committed a crime in the workplace and all other powers entrusted to the agents and to the officers of public security. The Directorate must work in cooperation with units of fire protection and civil defence, must keep informed the Public Security and, through the Public Security, the judicial authority of of crimes and offences occurring on the premises. The Directorate personnel must therefore cooperate with all other security organs.
The Division is headed by a Head, selected among the General Officers of the M.V.S.N. who have gained specific experience in the field. For the exercise of its functions, the Head uses two Deputy Heads who are responsible, respectively, for overseeing operational activities and administrative ones. The central support structure is composed of:

• Cabinet;
• Office I - "Preventive Investigations"
• Office II - "Judicial Investigations"
• Office III - "Field Operations"

Command of the M.V.S.N. of the National Council of the P.N.F.

The Command of the M.V.S.N. of the National Council of the P.N.F. was established in 1962 directly reporting to the president of the assembly. Police powers within the National Council are exercised by its President. This provision places the Command in a delicate function, having to exercise its functions exclusively within the institution in the manner established by the president in harmony with the rules governing the typical activities of the police.

The tasks of the Command are to guarantee public safety and security inside the buildings of the National Council and in the sector in front of it, guarantee the protection in Italy and abroad of the President of the National Council, of the Councilors appointed individually by the Duce and of the presidents of commissions. escort recipients, on the orders of the President, proceed with investigations concerning any controversy arising within the National Council.

There are only two places in which the legionnaires cannot access, except on the orders of the president of the National Council and when the sessions are concluded or suspended, and they are the general chamber and the chambers of the commissions. An exception is for the stands in which the plainclothes policemen, together with the parliamentary assistants, check that those who attend the sessions do not exceed in disorderly behaviour.

The Command is 400 troops strong. It led by a Seniore and it is subdivided into three units:

• Surveillance and Security Unit;
• Escorts and Protection Unit;
• Judicial Police Office.

Territorial organization

The organizational structure of M.V.S.N. units and the training they receive varies from one province to another, according to the nature and severity of the potential threats identified by the G.N.R. and M.V.S.N. commanders in different regions. M.V.S.N. legionnaires in the border provinces perform different duties to those stationed in central Italy; legionnaires are employed against drug traffickers or border-guard duties, also in addition to the proper Speciality. The bulk of the provincial Legions are regularly trained in riot-control tactics and how to deal with domestic uprisings.

Interregional Command

There are 5 Interregional Commands, modelled on those of the Public Security apparatus:

• 1st Command "Rome and Centre"
• 2nd Command "Padua and North-East"
• 3rd Command "Milan and North-West"
• 4th Command "Naples and South"
• 5th Command "Palermo and Isles"

Each Command has the following fulltime Offices:

• Administrative Office
• Training Office
• Medical Office
• Signals Office

Legion

The M.V.S.N. Legion is the basic organizational element. It has a provincial-related jurisdiction, and each Legion manages all M.V.S.N. activities within its Province, ranging from protection of local P.N.F. facilities and headquarters, territorial political security, presence to public order, public security and civil protection support activity. Each Provincial Legion has its own "honour title".

M.V.S.N. in the Italian Empire

In each Realm of the Italian Empire it is organized a M.V.S.N. autonomous branch, reporting to the M.V.S.N. General Command. Each "colonial" branch of the Militia carries out the same general duties and shares the control of the local G.N.R. with the G.N.R. General Command. As of 2015 there are six M.V.S.N. branches:

• Albania: Albanian Fascist Militia (Albanian: Milici Fashistë Shqiptare, M.F.S.; Italian: Milizia Fascista Albanese, M.F.A.);
• Eritrea: Eritrean Militia for Internal Security (Italian: Milizia Eritrea per la Sicurezza Interna, M.E.S.I.; due to the numerous languages in Eritrea, the only language used for official names is Italian, although every Italian name has unofficial translations in every language);
• Ethiopia: Fascist Guard (Amharic: የፋሺሽት ጠባቂ, Yefashīshiti T’ebak’ī, Y.F.E.; Italian: Guardia Fascista, G.F.);
• Libya: Voluntary Militia for Libyan National Security (Arabic:ميليشيا الطوعي للأمن الوطني الليبي, Milishia al-ttawei lil'amn al-watani al-Libi, M.T.A.W.L.; Italian: Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale Libica, M.V.S.N.L.);
• Montenegro: Montenegrin Fascist Militia for Internal Security (Montenegrin: Црногорска Фашистичка Милиција за Унутрашњу Безбедност, Ц.Ф.М.У.Б. Crnogorska Fašistička Milicija za Unutrašnju Bezbednost, C.F.N.U.B.; Italian: Milizia Montenegrina Fascista per la Sicurezza Interna, Mi.Mo.F.S.I.).
• Somalia: Somali Militia for National Security (Somali: Maleeshiyo Soomaali Amniga Qaranka ee, M.S.A.Q.; Italian: Milizia Somala per la Sicurezza Nazionale, M.S.S.N.);

Voluntary Militia for Libyan National Security

The Voluntary Militia for Libyan National Security (Arabic:ميليشيا الطوعي للأمن الوطني الليبي, Milishia al-ttawei lil'amn al-watani al-Libi, M.T.A.W.L.; Italian: Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale Libica, M.V.S.N.L.) is the main extra-Italian branch of the M.V.S.N. in the Italian Empire. It is also the main source of Islamic Fascist personnel for Militia missions in the Arabic region. The mission of the 40,000 Militia, founded in 1955 as a separate branch collecting both the former Libyan Special Militia and local Fascist paramilitary units, is to provide territorial defence, and it is to function under the leadership of local military commanders and local party leaders. Militia units are reportedly generously equipped with arms, transport, and uniforms.
The Libyan Militia is organized on provincial basis, with each of the Province providing a 1,000-strong Katiba (serving on part-time shifts). The 25 Katibas are organized into 4 Militia Brigades (كتائب, Katayib) based in Tripoli, Tunisi, Benghazi and Sabha, which correspond to the four regions of Libya; the Sabha Legion, responsible for Fezzan surveillance, consists of few fixed units and highly mobile patrols, based on tribal subdivisions.

Ethiopian Fascist Guard

The Fascist Guard (Amharic: የፋሺሽት ጠባቂ, Yefashīshiti T’ebak’ī, Y.F.E.; Italian: Guardia Fascista, G.F.) was established in 1948 in order to "safeguard the Fascist revolution". The government intended to raise a representative force on a regional basis to carry out police duties, to protect national property and to enforce the decisions of the government and tribunals. The militia has always remained largely a rural organization.

Sinai Fascist Militia

The Suez Canal Eastern Bank is subject to Italian military government; this is a major issue with Egypt and Arab nationalists in general, since the occupation was a result of the Italian-British African War in order to ensure the passage of Italian ships across the Suez Canal. During the decades, however, a local Italian population developed (mainly officials, soldiers and their families, but also some other people), and Italians are organized in the National Fascist Party; the local Fascist Militia is therefore very small, and is not considered as an autonomous branch, but rather as an Autonomous Cohort (Maniple-sized) of the Italian M.V.S.N.

Syrian Fascist Militia

Fascism in Syria historically enjoyed of high consideration and prestige; in 2012, after the suppression of the UK/USA-backed 2011 revolt, Sunni Muslim Libyan Brigadier General Massoud Abdelhafid was sent to Damasco in order to help the Ba'th government in the Syrian Civil War and to counterbalance both Russian and Iranian influences. There he has organized a Syrian Fascist Militia (الفاشي ميليشيا السوري, al Fashi Milishia al Suri) explicitly loyal only to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to Syria, to the Syrian Arab Republic and to Fascism, and explicitly rejecting any role as colonial vanguards.

M.V.S.N. Higher Command Italian East Africa

The M.V.S.N. Higher Command Italian East Africa (Comando Superiore M.V.S.N. A.O.I., COMILAOI) is an Italian M.V.S.N. command that coordinates nonmilitary operations of the individual branches of the M.V.S.N. in Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia. For military matters, all A.O.I. corps ad commands are subordinated to the Joint General Command Italian East Africa.

The M.V.S.N. Higher Command Italian East Africa's main headquarters are located at Addis Abeba. COMILAOI headquarters staff directorates include personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, plans & policy, information systems, training & exercises, and resources, and other functions. The Higher Command is led by an Italian Lieutenant General of the M.V.S.N..

Uniforms and insignia

The M.V.S.N. and its subcomponents have a complete set of rank insignia, military badges and military uniforms, in order to display the unity of action of every member and body; this improves the esprit de corps, and contributes to the identity formations of both the collective body (as opposed to the Army and in general to the State Armed Forces) and the individual member, because an uniform is the best media by which deliver the message of belonging to a particular Corps or political militia.

Gladius and Laurel Wreath

Distinctive insignia of the Party armed units. The gladius bears the wording "ITALIA".

The distinctive badge common to all Party armed units is made ​​up of the Roman Gladius and the laurel wreath, in opposition to the military five-points stars. The gladius and laurel wreath with black berries have Roman roots and are a symbol, the former, strength and value and, the latter, of honour and victory. The gladius is also a tradition of willingness and ability to achieve dual objectives, both inside and outside. Gladius and Laurel are the Idea and the Nation and also indicate two destinations: the unity of the Fatherland and the glory of arms.
However, the gladius-and-wreath policy is strictly enforced only within O.V.R.A. and G.N.R.; being a voluntary and political militia, the bulk of the M.V.S.N. openly tolerates and in some cases even continues to issue Fasces to pin on collars. Even very senior officers could wear fasces instead of Gladius-and-Laurel Wreath, on the basis that the fasces is always an honoured and very respected Fascist symbol. This is most common in Provincial Legions, but also some Legionnaires of permanent units wear the Fasces.
As if that was not enough, G.N.R. combat formations wear a stylized "M" and elite security units a red "M" with fasces.

• 

  Gladius and Laurel Wreath for General Officers (After 1972)

• 

  Gladius and Laurel Wreath for junior and senior Officers in General Staff service

• 

  Gladius and Laurel Wreath for junior and senior Officers

• 

  Gladius and Laurel Wreath for Sub-Officers and Troops

Ranks and insignia of the M.V.S.N.

The M.V.S.N. and its subcomponents (G.N.R. and O.V.R.A.) are military-organized bodies and have complete ranks and uniforms. While the M.V.S.N. has retained (although with some changes) the orginal rank structure of its founding years, both G.N.R. and O.V.R.A. have military-like rank names; however, rank insignia are identical for all the three branches.

Shoulder board for M.V.S.N. symphonic band and G.N.R. and O.V.R.A. brass bands (all ranks).

M.V.S.N. Special Ranks insignia
Special rank	Comandante Generale G.N.R. Direttore Generale O.V.R.A. Capo di Stato Maggiore della Milizia	Comandante Generale della Milizia
English translation	Commandant General G.N.R. Director General O.V.R.A. Chief of M.V.S.N. Staff	Commandant General M.V.S.N.
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Capo di Stato Maggiore di Forza Armata	Capo di Stato Maggiore dela Difesa
Corresponding Army rank (British Army)	Chief of Service Staff	Chief of Defence Staff
Shoulder board insignia

M.V.S.N. officers ranks and insignia
M.V.S.N. rank	Vice-Centurione	Centurione	Capomanipolo	Tribuno	Primo Tribuno	Seniore	Console	Console Generale	Luogotenente Generale
English translation	Deputy Centurion	Centurion	Maniple Chief	Tribune	Prime Tribune	Seniore	Consul	Consul General	Lieutenant General
G.N.R./O.V.R.A. rank	Sotto-luogotenente	Luogotenente	Capitano	Maggiore	Luogotenente Colonnello	Colonnello	Brigadier Generale	Maggior Generale	Luogotenente Generale
English translation	Under-Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Captain	Major	Lieutenant Colonel	Colonel	Brigadier General	Major General	Lieutenant General
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Sottotenente	Tenente	Capitano	Maggiore	Tenente Colonnello	Colonnello	Generale di Brigata	Generale di Divisione	Generale di Corpo d'Armata
Corresponding Army rank (British Army)	Second Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Captain	Major	Lieutenant Colonel	Colonel	Brigadier	Major General	Lieutenant General
Shoulder board insignia

M.V.S.N. Subofficers ranks and insignia
M.V.S.N. rank	Aiutante	Aiutante Capo	Primo Aiutante
English translation	Adjutant	Chief Adjutant	Prime Adjutant
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Maresciallo	Maresciallo Capo	Maresciallo Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (British Army)	Warrant Officer Class Two	Warrant Officer Second Class	Warrant Officer First Class
Shoulder board insignia

M.V.S.N. Enlisted ranks and insignia
M.V.S.N. rank	Camicia Nera	Legionario	Legionario Scelto	Vice Capo Squadra	Capo Squadra	Primo Capo Squadra
English translation	Blackshirt	Legionnaire	Legionnaire 1st Class	Deputy Team Chief	Team Chief	First Team Chief
G.N.R./O.V.R.A. rank	No equivalent	Legionario Scelto	Appuntato	Appuntato Capo	Vicebrigadiere	Brigadiere
English translation	No equivalent	Legionnaire First Class	Appointee	Chief Appointee	Deputy Sergeant	Sergeant
Corresponding Army rank (Italian Army)	Soldato	Caporale	Caporale maggiore	Caporale Capo	Sergente	Sergente Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (British Army))	Private	Lance Corporal	Corporal	Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant (senior echelon)
Sleeve insignia	No insignia
Shoulder board insignia

Blackshirt (rank)

Blackshirt is a military rank of the M.V.S.N. While in early years it was the entry rank of all legionnaires, since 1985 Blackshirts have been members of the M.V.S.N., enlisted in modes other than ordinary.
Ordinarily, Legionnaires of the M.V.S.N. have completed ordinary military service within State Armed Forces; Blackshirts are conscripts who, after an approved application, apply for service at the M.V.S.N. in the 24 months of ordinary military service. The majority of Blackshirts come from the G.I.L. youth militants who are distinguished by their particular ardor.
Blackshirts can be taken within the limits of the organic plant vacancies of the permanent service personnel.

Equipment

The M.V.S.N. on its own (separated from both G.N.R. and O.V.R.A.) has both civilian and military equipment for the fulfilment of its duties. The primary features of the M.V.S.N. equipment, direct inheritance of the 1920s Action Squads, are the baton: all M.V.S.N. personnel, regardless of the rank, use a straightstick 74 cm-long baton and a dagger. The baton nowadays is a long cylinder with a wrapped grip, with a slightly thicker shaft and rounded tip. They are made of aluminium covered by rubber.

Riot equipment

G.N.R. Commandant General Junio Marco Borghese. M.V.S.N. attire is often quite informal.

M.V.S.N. riot equipment is not as advanced as equipment issued by the Celere units, although the personnel is fully protected. The riot gear consists of several elements although they should remain a garment light, simple and easy to wear and at the same time protect the Legionnaire from attacks, kicks, punches and blows. The uniform is made of flame-resistant material Nomex. The uniform is a black operational suit with a crescent that incorporates the colours of the Italian flag on the right sleeve and the badge of the Legion. The suit is topped by a "combat vest" which consists of a vest with pockets and a belt that hosts the holster (thigh) of the gun. The personal protective equipment is completed by items like flak jackets, gas masks and riot helmets. The communication is guaranteed by radio transmitting equipment smaller and lighter with headphones so as not to interfere with the agility of the agent.

• Riot helmet: Benelli CAS "Legionario M2000", with back-of-the-neck protector, transparent polycarbonate visor, built-in radio microphone and earpieces.
• Riot shield: Benelli "Scudo M95", polycarbonate, rectangular with rounded corners, curved in the horizontal cross-section to shed thrown objects, and slightly curved in the vertical cross-section at the top and bottom. The size is 75x100 cm.
• Gas mask: Melloni MAG M2000
• Grenade launcher: Beretta LG40

Light weapons

Light weapons used by the M.V.S.N. include personal and unit military weapons. Ordinarily only the personal weapons are carried on external service.

Mortars

The mortars are an important resource in the combat infantry. Simple to use, they can open fire from covered positions a lot and thanks to the target trajectory are strongly arched able to beat a low profile targets to artillery fire. The M.V.S.N. only has light mortars (60 mm); currently the Militia uses the German Hirtenberger 60 mm.

Anti-tank weapons

Depending on the range anti-tank weapons are used by specialized units in the fight against tanks or are distributed as a self-defence equipment of all combat units. The M.V.S.N. has mainly rocket-launchers:

• Anti-tank rocket launcher "Folgore"
• Anti-tank rocket launcher "Panzerfaust 4"
• Anti-tank short-range guided missile Oto Melara "MILAN"
• Anti-tank and anti-personnel fire-and-forget guided missile Oto Melara "Aspide"

Standard issue Weapons

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Weapons
Beretta 92FS	Italy	9×19mm pistol	24,000		In service since 1978
Beretta FA70/90	Italy	5.56×45mm Assault rifle
Beretta FAR200	Kingdom of Italy	7.62×51mm battle rifle			Used by special and G.N.R. units.
Franchi SPAS-15	Kingdom of Italy	12 gauge Combat shotgun
Beretta LG40	Kingdom of Italy	Grenade launcher
Beretta Model 12	Kingdom of Italy	9x19mm Submachine gun
Mitragliatrice M9	Kingdom of Italy	9x19mm Submachine gun			Used by special and G.N.R. units
Morelli FP 90 S	Kingdom of Italy	8.6×70mm sniper rifle
FP127	Kingdom of Italy	12.7×99mm sniper rifle
Minimi ML	Kingdom of Italy United Kingdom of the Benelux	5.56×45mm light machine gun	3,000		Licensed build by Beretta
Beretta MG 42/59 – MG3	Kingdom of Italy Germany	7.62×51mm machine gun	30,000		Licensed build by Beretta, Whitehead Motofides and Franchi, since 1959.
Beretta MP127	Kingdom of Italy	12.7×99mm machine gun			Used by special and G.N.R. units.

Combat knives

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Combat knives
BM 59	Kingdom of Italy	Bayonet
Extrema Ratio Fulcrum	Kingdom of Italy	Bayonet			Used by special and G.N.R. units.

Personal equipment

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Personal equipment
Elmetto M05	Italy	Helmet
Elmetto M12	Italy	Helmet			Used by special units. It is designed to allow outside features such as tactical and communications protective system (TCAPS) devices to be attached to the helmet.
NC4/09	Italy	Bulletproof vest
[[AP98/A	Italy	Bulletproof vest			Used by special and G.N.R. units.
GAP-2000	Italy	Bulletproof vest			Used by special and G.N.R. units.
Special equipment
PAR-100	Italy	Parachute	Non-steerable parachute
PAR-300	Italy	Parachute			Steerable parachute. Used by Forza D and Littorio Brigade.
PAR-R50	Italy	Parachute			Reserve parachute. Used by Forza D and Littorio Brigade.
PAR-TCL20	Italy	Parachute			HAHO/HALO-TCL parachute. Used by Forza D and Littorio Brigade.
PAR-CARGO	Italy	Cargo Parachute			Used by Forza D and Littorio Brigade.

Night sight systems

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Night sight systems
SVN-50	Italy	Night vision device
SVN-SPECIALE 100	Italy	Night vision device			Used by special units.
OCULUSNOX-M4	Italy	Night Vision Monocular
VISIOTERMO-M50	Italy	Thermal weapon sight			For use with heavy weapons.
Officine Galileo VTG-120	Italy	Thermal imaging system			For use with missile launchers.
Officine Galileo VTG-240	Italy	Thermal imaging system			For use with TOW and MILAN launchers.
Officine Galileo VTG-240	Italy	Thermal imaging system			For use with support weapons.

Tactical vehicles

Tactical vehicles

Light multirole vehicle Iveco VTLM Lince in M.V.S.N. livery. M.V.S.N. vehicles are usually deployed as armoured cars without weaponry. However, should the need arise, they can be easily fitted with additional equipment such as turrets and machine guns.

• Fiat Ducato 4x4 (armoured): for security purposes
• Iveco Eurocargo 6x6 P (armoured): for security purposes

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Rayton Fissore Magnum 4x4 VAV	Italy	4x4 Utility Vehicle	400		Civilian version shown
Land Rover VAV AR 90	Italy	Off-road vehicle	120		Weapons Mounted Installation Kit, version with 12.7mm machine gun or 40 mm grenade launcher, for special forces
Iveco VTLM Lince	Italy	Light Multirole Vehicle
Fiat VM 90 Torpedo	Italy	Light Multirole Vehicle
Fiat VM 90	Italy	Light Multirole Vehicle
Iveco ACTL 4x4	Italy	Light military transport vehicle
Iveco ACTL 4x4x	Italy	Medium military transport vehicle
Iveco ACTL 4x4	Italy	Light military transport vehicle

Armoured vehicles

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
C1 Ariete	Italy	Main battle tank	60		Italian National Royal Guard.
C2 Centauro	Italy	Main battle tank	60		"Mussolini" Armoured Division
B1 Centauro	Italy	Tank destroyer			120mm cannon
VIC Iveco Dardo	Italy	Infantry fighting vehicle
VIC Freccia	Italy	Infantry fighting vehicle
OF-40	Italy	Main battle tank	368		45.5 t main battle tank for Guards of the Realms of the Italian Empire.

Artillery

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Artillery
AS-190	Italy	Self-propelled Howitzer

EOD/IEDD systems

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
EOD/IEDD systems
RIM-421	Italy	Metal detector
SMINA-2000	Italy	Unmanned Demining Vehicle
ROBOSMINA-50	Italy	robotic mine proofing system
PROTEMINA	Italy	Protective bomb suite

Light vehicles

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Light Vehicles
Cagiva Enduro T4 350cc	Italy	Despatches
MTC 90 – Fresia F18 4x4	Italy	Liaison	700
MLA 90 – Pozza Alpenparà	Italy	Liaison			Parachute motorcycle
MTA 90 – Pozza	Italy	Liaison			Parachute motorcycle
Iveco Para 4x4	Italy	Liaison			4X4 All Terrain Vehicle for parachute units
FIAT Quadrimoto 6x6	Italy	Liaison			Parachute quad in service since 2014 into 185th Artillery Parachute Regiment for mortars & ammu transport

Utility vehicles

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Utility Vehicles
Autobus Fiat A90.14/Fiat 370	Italy	Liaison

Aircraft inventory

• Enduro 350cm3
• Land Rover VAV AR 90 (attack jeep)
• Iveco VTLM Lince (light multirole vehicle)
• Fiat VM 90 Torpedo (light multirole vehicle)
• Iveco VM 90 (light multirole vehicle)
• Iveco ACTL 4x4 (light truck)
• Iveco ACTL 6x6 (medium truck)
• Land Rover Discovery (protected): for security purposes
• Fiat Ducato 4x4 (armoured): for security purposes
• Iveco Eurocargo 6x6 P (armoured): for security purposes
• Rayton Fissore Magnum (protected): for security purposes

See also

• Italian National Royal Guard (Kingdom of Italy)
• O.V.R.A. (Kingdom of Italy)
• Provincial Corporatist Labour Inspectorates