Plan for 40,000 reservists: Italy strengthens the Armed Forces

Rome - Italy is preparing for a new phase in its military strategy. The Defence General Staff is developing an ambitious plan to strengthen the operational capacity of the Armed Forces, with the recruitment of 40,000 new reservists ready to intervene in emergency situations and to feed a possible high-intensity war effort.

A choice dictated by the need to close a numerical and operational gap that has put the national defence system under pressure in recent years. "The size of the Armed Forces is set by a law. I have no problem saying, as I have said several times, that that model is now inadequate and must be changed,' said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

Currently, the personnel of the Italian armed forces stands at around 160,000 between the Army, Navy and Air Force, plus over 100,000 Carabinieri. Numbers that, according to military experts, would not be sufficient to guarantee the security of the country in complex scenarios and protracted conflicts.

General Masiello: 'We need reserves ready to be deployed'

The Chief of Staff of the Army also raised the alarm, General Carmine Masiello, che ha stimato in almeno 40-45.000 le unità mancanti per assicurare la piena operatività delle forze terrestri. “L’Esercito ha il dovere di prepararsi a qualsiasi evenienza, proprio per far fronte agli scenari peggiori, evitando di farsi trovare impreparato”, ha affermato Masiello durante un’audizione alla Commissione Difesa.

Il generale ha sottolineato come le dimensioni attuali dell’organico non garantiscano “la massa necessaria ad affrontare un eventuale conflitto ad alta intensità, che richiede la capacità di alimentare e rigenerare le forze impiegate in combattimento”. Per questo motivo, il progetto in fase di definizione prevede la creazione di un “bacino di forze di riserva prontamente impiegabili”, in grado di supportare l’Esercito e le altre componenti della Difesa in caso di necessità.

A new phase for European defence

Il piano italiano si inserisce in un contesto più ampio, quello di una nuova fase per la difesa europea. La settimana in corso vede infatti riunirsi a Parigi i vertici dell’E5 – Polonia, Francia, Germania, Italia e Regno Unito – per discutere del futuro della sicurezza continentale. Al centro dei colloqui la possibilità di una missione di peacekeeping in Ucraina e gli investimenti nella difesa comune, anche alla luce del piano ‘ReArm’ annunciato dalla presidente della Commissione Europea Ursula von der Leyen.

Precisely on this occasion, Italy will reiterate its readiness to participate in a peacekeeping mission only under a UN mandate, as clarified again by Minister Crosetto.

But the real challenge concerns the structural strengthening of the military capabilities of the individual EU member states. "The Army," explained Masiello, "must be ready to regenerate its forces and support the efforts required by new crisis and conflict scenarios. We cannot afford to be found unprepared'.

A paradigm shift in European security

The geopolitical situation, marked by instability and uncertainty, imposes long-term strategic choices. The Italian decision to recruit 40,000 reservists is not only a response to domestic operational needs, but also a contribution to strengthening Europe's collective security.

The Paris Summits could mark the beginning of a new season for European defence: more integrated, better funded and ready to face the challenges of the present and the future.

Source: https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2025/03/09/progetto-italiano-per-le-forze-armate-40mila-riservisti-da-impiegare-nelle-emergenze_ca1e95f3-539e-432d-8f1f-825a516164fc.html