Royal Carabinieri Special Intervention Group (Kingdom of Italy)
| Special Intervention Group | |
|---|---|
| Gruppo di Intervento Speciale | |
.svg) Special Intervention Group emblem | |
| Active | 6 February 1978 – present |
| Country | Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch | Royal Carabinieri |
| Type | Special forces |
| Size | around 300 (Special Intervention Group) 550 (incl. G.I.S. Interregional Platoons) |
| Part of | Royal Carabinieri Operations Command (logistics and administration) Joint Command for Operations of Special Forces (COFS) |
| Garrison/HQ | Livorno |
| Nickname(s) | Teste di cuoio ("Leatherheads") |
| Motto(s) | Nei secoli fedele ("Faithful through the centuries") Silenziosi come la notte veloci come la folgore ("As silent as the night, as fast as the lightning") In Singuli Virtute Aciei Vis |
| Colors | Black and Red |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Gianmario Tranquilli |
The Royal Carabinieri Special Intervention Group (Italian: Gruppo di Intervento Speciale dei Carabinieri Reali, G.I.S.) is the special forces unit of the Royal Carabinieri. The then-Republican Police Corps formed G.I.S. in 1978 as a police tactical unit. In 2004, G.I.S. assumed a special operations role, evolving to a special forces unit, in addition to the police tactical unit role, becoming part of the Joint Command for Operations of Special Forces.
The unit has taken part in counter-terrorism operations and VIP, executive and dignitary protection security. Since its inception, G.I.S. has distinguished itself throughout Italy for efficiency and excellent preparation, and has also operated and operates in several theatres of war including Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Horn of Africa, as well as in all the countries where Italian diplomatic offices are at risk.
Mission
The Special Intervention Group is a "bivalent" operational maneuver unit, i.e. it can be employed both as a "military" (domestic, Empire-wide and expeditionary) Special Force and as a "anti-terrorist police" Special Unit (domestic role).
The Special Intervention Group is employed in high-risk special actions against terrorism. The G.I.S. specializes in hostage rescue, prioritizing their physical safety, in the reconquest of vital targets and facilities held by terrorists, in resolutive intervention against hijacking, and in intervention in environments featuring NBCR dangers.
Internal security roles
The creation of the "Anti-Terrorism Units", of any country, historically represents nothing more than the doctrinal and operational adaptation of some typical tasks of the military special departments which fall within those tactics of use typical of sabotage, anti-sabotage and long-range traget reconnaissance.
The Special Intervention Group ensures the permanent availability of personnel to the Ministry of the Interior for immediate deployments. The Ministry of the Interior employs the G.I.S. for the release of hostages from airplanes, ships, trains, buses and buildings. It also calls them to protect sensitive targets from terrorist or criminal attacks and to ensure surveillance and security at high-risk events (in coordination with Public Security authorities).
Aside from the permanent availability ensured to the Interior Ministry, the G.I.S. is used by the General Command of the Royal Carabinieri to guarantee the security of threatened personalities or to assist territorial units in crisis situations such as kidnapping and capturing criminals, fugitives or dangerous evades. The G.I.S. also trains and certifies other Royal Carabinieri assigned to escort duties, and provides security services to important persons.
Territorial role
The Interregional Platoons of the GIS make it possible to optimize the coverage of the territory and the reactivity of the Royal Carabinieri by shortening the intervention times. The P.I.G.I.S. are thus part of a gradation of means allowing the implementation of trained personnel for situations of increasing seriousness:
- Territorial organisation of the Royal Carabinieri (Tier 7, "Professional Intervention Level");
- Territorial Control Units of the Royal Carabinieri (Tier 6, "Professional Intervention Level");
- Quick Reaction Operational Units (Tier 5, "Mobile Intervention Level"), where established;
- Legion Mobile Platoon of the relevant Legion (Tier 4, "Mobile Intervention Level");
- Royal Carabinieri Battalions (Tier 3, "Mobile Intervention Level")
- Battalions of the Etna Brigade of the Italian Royal National Guard (Tier 2, "Specialist Intervention Level");
- G.I.S. and its Platoons (Tier 1 to Tier 2, "Specialist Intervention Level").
Roles abroad
The G.I.S. is also deployed abroad, both in the Realms of the Italian Empire and in foreign countries, to perform foreign hostage-rescue operations, to protect Italian embassies and consulates in highly dangerous situations, as well as for special intervention in Royal Carabinieri deployments and operations abroad.
Occasionally they are also in charge of training foreign police personnel.
Special operations
In 2004, G.I.S. became a special forces unit responsible for special operations, including direct action, special reconnaissance, military assistance and counter-terrorism, part of Joint Command for Operations of Special Forces of the Armed Forces, in addition to its civilian police tactical unit role. G.I.S. can deploy overseas for special operations if requested by C.O.F.S. In 2015, laws were changed to permit the O.V.R.A. to use G.I.S. for individual missions alongside other special forces units and the G.N.R. D-Force.
Subordination
The Special Intervention Group is part of the departments of the Royal Carabinieri Operations Command under the organizational, employment, training and disciplinary aspects and for the administrative and logistic part.
Military duties
From a military point of view, like the Special Force, it depends on the Ministry of National Defence, within which three other different "command lines" are developed:
- At "functional (ordinary) level", the G.I.S. depends on the General Staff of Defense (S.M.D.);
- At a "special operational level", as regards mission assignments abroad as a "High Readiness and Projection" Unit, the G.I.S. depends of the Joint Command for Operations of Special Forces;
- For direct dependence of the Armed Forces, in an ordinary way of command depends on the Royal Carabinieri Operations Command and for the related address aspects from the II Unit "Employment of Forces" of the General Staff of the General Command of the Royal Carabinieri.
As far as high-risk interventions in diplomatic offices abroad (Embassies and Consulates) are concerned, the G.I.S. is involved in a synergy relationship with the Royal Carabinieri Command of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself.
From a police point of view, as Counterterrorism Tactical Unit, the G.I.S. depends on the General Command of the Royal Carabinieri, the Operations Command and on the Directorate General of Public Security of the Ministry of Imperial Affairs for emergency activity on the territory of the Realms of the Italian Empire.
Domestic duties
From a police point of view, as Counterterrorism Tactical Unit, the G.I.S. depends on the General Command of the Royal Carabinieri, the Operations Command and on the Directorate General of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior for permanent availability for emergency activity on the national territory, with the "operating procedure" for activation upon request for intervention by the Provincial Carabinieri Commands through the information medium of the relevant territorial Carabinieri Legion Command.
Organization
The G.I.S. headquarters is in Leghorn. The exact number of operating personnel is confidential information, but the Group is organized at a Battalion level.
The Special Intervention Group is led by a Corps Commander chosen from among the Senior Officers of the Royal Carabinieri, with command experience already in the 1st "Podgora" or in other operational Carabinieri Regiments with the rank of Colonel (or Lieutenant Colonel ), supported by a Deputy Commander with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (or Major).
The Group is divided into three Units: Command Unit, Operations Unit and Support Unit.
Command Unit
The Command Unit includes:
- Command Unit, which is responsible for the primary management and administrative activities for the "Secretariat and Personnel", "Administration" and "Logistics" functions;
- Operational Planning Section, with responsibility for "shunting" activities or related to operational and employment functions;
- Technical Unit, aimed at research and experimentation with materials.
Operations Unit
The Operations Unit includes:
- Negotiators Nucleus;
- 8 x Assault Sections;
- Escort Section;
- Snipers and Reconnaissance Section.
Negotiators Nucleus
The Negotiators Nucleus is in charge of the "relational-communicative" function, being specialized in the acquisition of information for the search for a possible peaceful solution in destabilizing or defined "crisis" situations, with a greater orientation since 2004 to skills also connected to the so-called "psychological operations" (Psy Ops) of tactical utility in military operations.
Assault Sections
The Special Intervention Group deploys eight Assault Sections: four of them are deployed in Spinaceto, near Rome. Each Operational Section consists of two specialities, "Assault" and "Support", and it is organized and divided into Operational Detachments, which represent the operational pawns in military operations.
A team from the G.I.S. in operational order as a police tactical unit, while maintaining a certain versatility and flexibility depending on the circumstances, it is usually composed of 7 men, of which: 4 assault, 2 snipers and a recon.
As regards the operational use of the G.I.S. as a "Special Military Force", each Assault Section is divided into four Operational Detachments, which are the smallest special maneuver units. Each Operational Detachment corresponds to a Squad. It is made up of four men:
- a Commander (with cover and assault functions);
- an explosives specialist;
- two Assault specialists in climbing and ascent-descent, who are also experts in operational guidance and special equipment.
Snipers and Reconnaissance Section
The Snipers and Reconnaissance Section is subdivided into the Snipers Team and the Recon/Target Acquisition Team. This Section performs the sniper capabilities with fire coverage and control of the protection sectors, as well as those of reconnaissance and target acquisition.
The Snipers and Reconnaissance Section is in turn made up of teams of three men: two fighters armed with Mauser 86 SR and an target acquisitor equipped with a semiautomatic HK PSG-1. During longer actions, men can become the target acquisitor.
Support Unit
The Support Unit includes:
- Assault and Training Section;
- Infirmary;
- Specialist Armoury;
- Internal shooting range;
- Field Support Section;
- Car and Vehicle Section.
G.I.S. Interregional Platoon
An interregional platoon of the G.I.S. (Plotone Interregionale G.I.S., P.I.G.I.S.) is a territorial component of the Special Intervention Group. There are five Platoons in metropolitan Italy, one for each Interregional Command. The Platoons are mainly responsible for judicial arrests of dangerous criminals, arresting madmen, escorting dangerous detainees, combating organized crime and counter-terrorism.
P.I.G.I.S. personnel are subject to an alert system and are permanently available: they must be ready to leave for an intervention in less than thirty minutes.
G.I.S. Interregional Platoons should not be confused with the Legion Mobile Platoons, which are part of the territorial organization but are subordinated to the Special Intervention Group in case of crisis.
Operations
At any moment there is a detachment ready to leave the base in 30 minutes. For this purpose, there are always some helicopters ready to leave and an Air Force C-130 available in Pisa military airbase. The remaining personnel can be deployed within three and twenty-four hours after the alert. In the most urgent cases, an advanced team precedes the operating section in order to plan the intervention strategy based on first-hand information.
Training
Being an elite unit, the path that candidates have to make to access it is particularly hard and selective from the first phase which includes interviews and psycho-physical visits.
The competition announcement (interpellation in Carabinieri jargon) was opened, in 2011, to all Royal Carabinieri who are no more than 33 years old. It is therefore no longer an indispensable condition to be of the 1st Royal Carabinieri Paratroopers Regiment "Podgora".
The course is called "G.I.S. operator with the military patent of Raider", because at the end of the training process the military receives the military patent of Raider, as happens in the other Italian Special Forces.
The carabinieri who apply are sent to the 1st Podgora Regiment. The first selection phase for the G.I.S. involves an interview with a senior G.I.S. officer who verifies motivation, a key element in becoming part of the Group, followed by an examination by psychologists and medical doctors. This first selection is passed by 40 per cent of the candidates.
Paratroopers course
The survivors then begin a very hard training process for the patent of Paratrooper at 1st Royal Carabinieri Paratroopers Regiment "Podgora" of about nine months (this training is almost identical to the one carried out by the 1st Royal Carabinieri Paratroopers Regiment "Podgora", therefore those who come from the latter are directly introduced to the second phase, namely the specialized one for the G.I.S.). The course includes:
- military parachuting course (launch with tie rope);
- training in the operational use of ropes;
- operational first aid course;
- land guidance and navigation techniques;
- personal defence course (multiple techniques derived from different martial arts, applied to possible operational situations);
- NBCR course on operations in contaminated environments;
- techniques of masking, camouflage, tactical movement, overcoming obstacles, ability to survive and operate safely in harsh environments;
- patrol and platoon training (standard operating procedures for minor units, amphibious operations, reconnaissance, acquisition of targets, picketing, guerrilla techniques, anti-guerrilla warfare and special operations);
- survival techniques, evasion, resistance to interrogation and escape;
- training in the use of weapons and special materials (shooting with short, medium, long arms, use of various accessories, explosive or special materials, full knowledge of communications equipment, including satellite, supplied to the department);
- combat and patrolling techniques in urban areas;
- Military Police techniques, Counter-IED, HUMINT and for use in multinational units and commands.
G.I.S. courses
The Royal Carabinieri who finish the Paratroopers course, about 30 per cent of the initial candidates, are admitted to the 45-week course divided into a Basic Course of 18 weeks (exceeded by more than 50 per cent of remaining candidates) and to a 27-week "Specialized Course". Only at this point does the Royal Carabiniere become operational and an effective member of the Special Intervention Group.
The G.I.S. Basic course lasts 18 weeks and includes:
- Physical exercises and martial arts; in addition to intense physical exercise, candidates learn martial arts (as Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai) to disarm, immobilize and, in general, to face close combat without the use of firearms;
- Explosives; construction, use and disengagement of explosive devices;
- Firearms: use of long and short firearms (pistols, machine guns, shotguns, assault rifles and sniper rifles), choice of the type of weapon and ammunition according to the operational scenario;
- Special equipment: use of electronic surveillance equipment such as night vision devices, fiber optic cameras, microphones, as well as mechanical intrusion devices such as those used for breaking doors;
- Break-in techniques: methods of breaking into buildings, vehicles, aircraft, etc.;
- Climbing and descending techniques: climbing in different situations using ropes, ladders and other instruments; use of the fast rope technique for rapid descent from buildings or helicopters;
- Photographic techniques: basic techniques of photography and use of cameras, video cameras, equipment for thermal and infrared recording, and image processing. Assignment to the section of the explorers/scouts will further deepen these concepts;
- Evaluation of objectives: collection of useful information for planning an action such as the robustness and type of materials of doors, windows and structures
- Shooting: shooting exercise especially against static targets using both a system known as FATS ( Fire Arm Training System ), an interactive laser system that projects images onto a screen and records all student reactions; both fire tests with real ammunition;
- Police activities: arrest techniques;
- English language;
- High risk protection;
- First aid techniques.
The G.I.S. Specialized Course G.I.S. lasts 27 weeks and includes:
- Advanced shot : shooting against moving targets and, in the presence of hostages to learn to discriminate between hostile or innocent individuals in fractions of a second; shooting from difficult positions and with both hands, either alone or in a team using real ammunition.
- Advanced techniques with explosives : usage of explosives in the presence of hostages, characteristics and choice of explosives and the amount and mode of use to minimize collateral damage. Use of gas and their use with grenades of 40 mm.
- Skiing and climbing : attended at the Alpine Center of the Carabinieri in Selva di Val Gardena and in the school of Alpini ad Aosta
- Quick Guide : defensive and offensive driving techniques
- Swimming and amphibious assault : attended at the Sub Center of the Carabinieri of Genoa-Voltri, then at the COMSUBIN of Navy to learn techniques of reconnaissance, approach, assault and amphibious combat, as well as the use of equipment for ARO / ARA divers, motorboats and dinghies.
- Infrastructures : buildings, trains, planes and buses are studied, which characterize the possible theatres of use. To this end, the G.I.S. has a very detailed archive of sensitive objectives such as embassies, public buildings, industries, as well as specific simulacra models of vehicles and aircraft to train with.
- Guerrilla and counter-guerrilla tactics : to learn the techniques commonly used by terrorists such as ambushes, counter-ambushes, neutralization of opponents, and combat in urban areas.
- Assault on Aircraft: G.I.S. are the main aircraft assault unit in Italy. They conduct specific exercises with life-size simulacra to learn and perfect the use of explosives and other techniques for breaking doors, use of telescopic ladders, thermal sensors and other tools and techniques applicable in those situations.
Strengthening and speciality courses
Once part of G.I.S., training is a daily activity and their skills are perfected with further courses: strengthening and speciality courses.
Strengthening courses:
- Parachuting course with the technique of free fall (TCL). It takes place at the Parachute Training Center (CAPAR) of Pisa for a period of between five and six weeks, during which launches are made from a maximum height of 3000–4000 metres (10,000 feet)
- Advanced parachuting course, lasting 3–4 weeks, for learning the techniques for high altitude launches (of 7.000–11.000 metres) with oxygen at low altitude opening—HALO (High Altitude Low Opening)—or with opening at high altitude and sailing under sail—HAHO (High Altitude High Opening).
Speciality courses:
- Sniper Courses: only attended by the candidates of the Snipers and Reconnaissance Section to learn precision shooting and snipers, concealment and camouflage techniques, coordinated fire and use of different types of weaponry and crosshairs. For coordinated fire between several shooters, they train to use the Synchropy system, which allows the action manager to see what is being framed by the individual shooters and to control the simultaneous fire.
- EOD Course (Explosive Ordinance Reclamation Operator) and IEDD Course (Improvised Explosive Ordinance Reclamation Operator)
- Combat Medic Course: at national level, the Incursori destined for this sector obtain the qualification of "Military Rescuer" at the Medical School of Rome, after a three-week course that guarantees, among other things, a sort of legal capacity to operate within the first aid, even if with significant limitations. The Course is complemented by other courses held within the European Security and Cooperation Organization: the "Special Operations Combat Medics (SOCM) Course", performed in Germany, teaches basic first aid procedures, such as stopping bleeding and ensuring proper infusion and shock therapy, and the "Special Combat Medic", held in France. With a total duration of about one year, the latter is exclusively dedicated to Special Forces.
- Forward Air Controller Course: to qualify for the missions related to the direction from the ground of the airstrikes and the designation to the pilots of the objectives. As a rule, the course is followed by that of Fire Controller for Special Operations, a further three weeks.