
La Task Force 45 (TF-45) was a combatant, inter-force military unit of Italian special forces, operating, from June 2006 at 2014 in Afghanistan, as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Operation 'Sarissa'.
It depended directly on the NATO Special Forces Command in Kabul, and not by Italian national commands. However, the Defence General Staff coordinated its operations through the COFS.
The task force was classified, and its members were not counted in the overall Italian contingent deployed in Afghanistan, which is why the number of TF-45 personnel is still unknown (an estimated 300 personnel, but the figure is uncertain).
It was composed exclusively of special forces soldiers from the 4 armed forces, with the technical operational support of the 11th Transmission Regiment (Italian Army) and the 26th Special Operations Helicopter Unit (REOS) 'Jupiter' (since 2014 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment 'Aldebaran')
It was the largest deployment of special forces ever deployed by Italy since the post-war period.
History
In 2004 the Italian government receives confidential instructions from NATO to set up a special forces unit to be permanently stationed in Afghanistan until the end of the mission. The Defence General Staff instructs the newly created COFS (Inter-Forces Command for Special Forces Operations) to take care of it.

The 3 February 2005 In the Afghan mountains between Herat and Kabul, Captain Bruno Vianini, a COMSUBIN (Navy) raider, sent on patrol by the COFS to prepare the deployment for what was to be Task Force 45, lost his life in an aircraft accident.
In June 2006 under the command of Lt Col. Roberto Vannacci, first commander of the 45, is ready to act with men and means.
Immediately, the following month, the Task Force was deployed in the infamous 'Medusa' operation, with the aim of disrupting Taliban formations, which were put under pressure by conventional forces in a complex NATO offensive.
Initially, the TF-45 is deployed on two bases:
- Forward Support Base (FSB) 'Camp Arena' in Herat, , Task Unit 'Alfa' and TF-45 Command
- Forward Operating Base (FOB) 'El Alamein' in Farah, Afghanistan, Task Unit 'Bravo'.
The 9 August 2009, Due to a malfunction of an electrical generator, a fire broke out and destroyed the TF-45 Base in Farah, which is located inside a US base.
The 15 October 2009, during a move from Herat to Shindadin, in a road accident caused by a mechanical problem with the VTLM Lince, 1st Lance Corporal Ranger Rosario Ponziano of the 4th Rgt. Alpini Par. Monte Cervino lost his life.
The 17 September 2010 has the first fallen in combat, Lt. Parachutist Raider Alessandro Romani, of the 9th Rgt. Col Moschin. together with the operational detachment to which he belongs, is helicoptered into the Bakwah area, Herat province, to capture Afghan terrorists spotted by a Predator UAV while planting an IED under a road bridge.
Wounded in the shoulder in the ensuing firefight, he died a few hours later at the Role 2 hospital in Farah from cardiac arrest due to his injuries.
Composition
TF-45 was composed of soldiers from all Italian Special Forces (FS - TIER 1) and Special Operations Forces (FOS - TIER 2) units and acted under the exclusive operational command of the Italian Army's 9th Parachute Assault Regiment 'Col Moschin'.
Operational units:
- 9th Parachute Assault Regiment 'Col Moschin' (Italian Army)
- COMSUBIN 'Teseo Tesei' Incursor Operations Group (Navy)
- 17th Incursor Wing (Air Force)
- Special Intervention Group (Carabinieri Corps)
- 4th Alpine Parachute Regiment 'Monte Cervino' (Italian Army)
- 185th Par. Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment 'Folgore' (Italian Army)
Operational support:
- 26th REOS Squadron Group (from 2014 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment 'Aldebaran')
- 11th Transmission Regiment (Italian Army)
Command structure:
- North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
- International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
- Headquarters ISAF (HQ-ISAF)
- ISAF Special Operations Forces/Special Operations Command and Control Element (ISAF-SOF/SOCCE)
- ISAF Regional Special Operations Task Group 'West' (ISAF-SOTG-W)
- Joint Special Operations Task Group 'Condor-A' (JSOTG 'Condor-A')
- Task Force 45 (TF-45)
- Joint Special Operations Task Group 'Condor-A' (JSOTG 'Condor-A')
- ISAF Regional Special Operations Task Group 'West' (ISAF-SOTG-W)
- ISAF Special Operations Forces/Special Operations Command and Control Element (ISAF-SOF/SOCCE)
- Headquarters ISAF (HQ-ISAF)
- International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
TF-45 was, together with the British Tasf Force 42 under command of the 22nd SAS and composed of SAS, SBS and SFSG operators, the first NATO Special Forces Task Force operating in Afghanistan. Only later were other military special forces combat units created, including:
- Task Force 45 (Italy) - Regional Command 'West' (RC-W) territory;
- Task Force 47 (Germany) - Regional Command 'North' (RC-N) territory;
- Task Force 49 (W Grom, Poland) - Ghazni Province and the territories of Regional Command 'East' (RC-E);
- Task Force 50 (JW Komandosów, Poland) - Ghazni Province, Paktika Province and the territories of Regional Command 'East' (RC-E);
- Task Force 42 (SAS, SFSG, UK) - Helmand Province;
- Task Force 66 (Australia) - Oruzgan and Kandahar Provinces.
- Task Force EAGLE (Special Operations Battalion, Albania) - Kandahar Province.
Tasks
The TF-45 operated with special forces techniques to perform 'classic' special forces tasks.
The operations, on which the Italian government and military commands often maintained the utmost secrecy, often consisted of unconventional warfare missions, in a highly asymmetrical context when not in support of conventional forces
According to testimonies, including that of the then first commander of TF-45, Div. Gen. Roberto Vannacci in anDefence Online interview in 2021 and from book by retired 9th Rgt 'Col Moschin' raider Claudio Spinelli, the TF-45's tasks were as follows:
- Disarticulation of Taliban formations, specifically targeting group leaderships
- Prevention of attacks directed against Italian and coalition soldiers
- Release of civilian and military hostages
- Supporting the Afghan police force in the execution of arrest warrants
- Combating illicit trafficking of weapons to insurgents
- Security for local and international political, civil and military personalities
- Creating safe zones pending the arrival of conventional forces
Crucial was the support of the Aise intelligence forces and those of the other ISAF coalition countries. However, TF-45 had its own humint and special reconnaissance units.
The conventional name of the mission in which Task Force 45 participated is 'Operation Sarissa' (named after a Macedonian lance).