NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy


The NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy is a multi-national corps headquarters of the Italian Army. It was established in November 2001 as a High Readiness Force of NATO. The staff of NRDC-ITA is located in Solbiate Olona, a few kilometers northwest of Milan.

History

In 1997, in the wake of a major restructuring of the Italian Army, the 3rd Army Corps was transformed into the Projection Forces Command in command and control of three brigades, which were characterized by high mobility and deployability. However already on 1 December 2000 the 3rd Army Corps ceded its last brigades to the 1st Defence Forces Command and with its personnel the NATO Rapid Deployable Italian Corps was raised in January 2001.
From its establishment until its deployment in Afghanistan, NRDC-IT has participated in the following exercises:
NRDC-IT is operationally led by NATO's Joint Force Command Headquarters in Naples or Brunssum. Its staff comprises soldiers from 18 NATO member states, but the Commander and a large part of the staff are Italian. Normally, the Corps commands only a support brigade, but it can command further support units as well as a number of divisions or brigades.