Military of Italy

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Military of Italy
Military manpower
Military age	18 years of age
Availability	males age 15–49: 14,315,634 (2000 est.)
Fit for military service	males age 15–49: 12,331,306 (2000 est.)
Reaching military age annually	males: 311,160 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures
Dollar figure	$23.294 billion (FY99)
Percent of GDP	1.7% (FY99)

[edit] Military branches

Esercito Italiano (Army)
Marina Militare (Navy)
Aeronautica Militare (Air Force)
Carabinieri (Military Police)

The Guardia di Finanza is a specialized police with the role of fighting against financial crimes, illegal drugs trafficking, customs and borders control on earth-sea and air, illegal immigration, money laundering, Terrorist Financing, smuggling, maintaining public order and safety, money counterfeiting, cybercrime; it is also a Military Corps. In Italy also the Guardia di Finanza has some duties of military police.

Italy has worked closely with the United States and others on such issues as NATO and UN operations as well as with assistance to Russia and the other CIS nations, Middle East peace process, multilateral talks, Somalia and Mozambique peacekeeping, and combating drug trafficking, trafficking in women and children, and terrorism.

Under longstanding bilateral agreements flowing from NATO membership, Italy hosts important U.S. military forces at Vicenza – home of 173d Airborne Brigade – and Livorno (USA); Aviano (USAF); and Sigonella, Naples, and Gaeta – home port for the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet. The United States has about 16,000 military personnel stationed in Italy. Italy hosts the NATO Defence College in Rome.

Effective January 1, 2005, the Italian Army has become a fully-volunteer profession, open both to men and women.

As of 2006, Italy ranks third in the world in number of military forces operating in peacekeeping and peace-enforcing scenarios (Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, Balkans, Lebanon, Israel), following only the United States and United Kingdom.

A new aircraft carrier, the Cavour, is in construction in the Liguria region.