The NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy (NRDC-ITA) is a multi-national corps headquarters of the Italian Army. It was established in November 2001 as a High Readiness Force (HRF) of NATO. 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. NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy (NRDC-ITA) is a multinational Headquarters based in Milan with the main structures located in the “Ugo Mara” barracks in Solbiate Olona.
In 1997, in the wake of a major restructuring of the Italian Army, the 3rd Army Corps was transformed into the Projection Forces Command (COMFOP) 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 (COMFOD 1°) and with its personnel the NATO Rapid Deployable Italian Corps was raised in January 2001. The staff of NRDC-ITA is located in Solbiate Olona, a few kilometers northwest of Milan. In 2015, NRDC-ITA moved from operating solely at the tactical level to the operational level.
It is a High Readiness Headquarters which can be quickly dispatched to command and control NATO troops on missions within or beyond the territory of NATO member states, for the collective defence of Alliance territory or in pursuit of Alliance, EU or coalition security interests. NRDC-ITA is to be prepared to deploy as a Corps, Land Component Command or Joint Task Force HQ for joint operations (Land Heavy) under NATO, EU or a coalition command, to conduct or sustain missions throughout the operational spectrum, both within and beyond NATO’s area of responsibility for the collective defence of Alliance territory or in pursuit of Alliance, EU or coalition security interests.
