NATO and US bases in Italy: here’s where they are located

How many NATO bases are there in Italy? And where exactly are they located? It has been observed that since 2022, there has been a significant increase in armed conflicts worldwide. The Eastern Europe region has witnessed the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, while the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has seen the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Even in 2024, these conflicts have not yet ceased, instead becoming more intense with each passing day.

Experts fear that in the coming months, some wars could worsen, intensifying and causing an escalation of the conflict on an international and global scale.

Since the end of the Second World War, Italy has become the home of numerous NATO and American bases. Some are well known while others are secretly positioned across Italian territory. The military bases are strategic and crucial locations from which NATO could launch attacks in the event of war.

For example, due to the (secret) bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements with the United States, the host country - Italy - would be forced to fight on the front line.

What are NATO and US military bases and what are they for

The NATO and American bases are military camps used to host and accommodate both the military forces and the material of the Organization or the United States. The bases enjoy extraterritoriality, and are not subject to the legal powers of the State in which they are located; therefore, in our case, they are not subject to Italian laws. The bases appear to be autonomous and have their own rules that respect NATO principles.

The first military bases established in Italy were those of the United States after the signing of the Marshall Plan agreements in 1948, aimed at reconstructing Europe after the devastation of World War II. Meanwhile, NATO military bases have been located in Italy since 1949, the year the North Atlantic Treaty was signed. These bases today perform a dual function: defensive and offensive.

From a defensive point of view, military bases are garrisons of protection and security for Italy. Furthermore, counting on the protection of the United States and NATO, Italy can reduce military spending. From an offensive point of view, however, the bases in Italy become a strategic point for the USA to launch missions throughout Europe and in the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas.

Even today, the following activities are carried out at the bases:

• military training;
• espionage;
• testing of secret equipment.

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How many NATO and US bases are there in Italy?

In reality, as we learn from other sources, it is not so simple to quantify the number of NATO bases in Italy.

In 2013 the bases with a US presence in Italy were 59, as of today in 2024 those officially declared are 120.

Not all of these, however, are Nato military bases. There are, in fact, four different types of structures:

• the bases granted to the United States under two agreements signed in the 1950s, which remain under Italian command while the United States retains military control over equipment and operations;
• the Nato bases "proper" and, therefore, with their own chain of command;
• the Italian bases made available to NATO on the basis of the agreements of the Atlantic Alliance;
• the shared bases by Italy, United States and Nato.

In reality, there are reasons to believe that other 20 US military or residential bases covered by military secrecy should be added to the 120 and there is no real information on these.

As regards, however, the number of US soldiers present on Italian soil, we are talking about approximately 13,000 units and it must be remembered that the VI American fleet is located in the Mediterranean.

Where the military bases are located in Italy: the complete map

As anticipated, it is not so simple to quantify the number of Nato bases in Italy. Indeed, alongside the officially declared ones there are other secret bases whose details and exact locations are unknown for safety reasons.

These are the most important NATO and US military bases on Italian territory:

• Naples: here is one of the two NATO commands, the Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) located to be precise in Lago Patria; again in Naples we find the US command of the Marine Security Force and the air forces for the Mediterranean;
• Camp Darby, in the province of Pisa and a short distance from Livorno, where there is an ammunition and bomb depot;
• Poggio Renatico in the province of Ferrara, where the Deployable Air Command and Control Centre is located to monitor the airspace and provide trained personnel for NATO operations and exercises;
• Gaeta, where the flagship and command of the VI fleet are housed in the city’s port;
• Taranto, where part of the Nspa (Nato Support and Procurement Agency) of the Southern Operational Center (SOC) which controls the naval and amphibious forces offered by Italy to NATO is located;
• La Spezia, where the NATO research center is located;
• Ghedi, in the province Brescia in Lombardy, we find a depot of nuclear bombs;
• Aviano, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where the largest American air base in the Mediterranean is present: inside the NATO structure there would be atomic bombs of the B61- type 4;
• Vicenza, where the US Army command for Southern Europe is located;
• Sigonella, finally, is the most important NATO base. Here, in the Catania plain, the US Navy airport in the Mediterranean is located and serves as a base for transmitting the data necessary for drone flight and attack plans. The killer drones “Triton” and “Reaper” are also kept here.

Moreover, numerous NATO bases are located across Sicily. As demonstrated during the Second World War, the Sicilian island has always played a fundamental strategic role.

The most important NATO and US bases in Italy

Source: Money.it; "Base Structure Report", US Department of Defense

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Why are there so many military bases in Italy?

According to the latest data, Italy is the European country with most US and NATO military bases on its soil, the second is Germany with around 70, and third is Great Britain with around 30.

But why are there so many military bases in Italy? To provide an answer to this question, it is important to consider both past and present reasons.

In the aftermath of World War II, the Republic born out of the Resistance was home to the largest Communist Party in Europe, and due to the Cold War, the United States feared that Italy might then end up in Soviet orbit; hence the presence of US bases in Italy with the signing of the Marshall Plan.

For Winston Churchill, the peninsula was one of the countries closest to the so-called "Iron Curtain" which extended from Stettin (Poland) to Trieste. For NATO, therefore, Italy needed to be militarily prepared in the event of a sudden escalation of the Cold War.

Today, however, the only reason that explains the high number of bases is the excellent strategic position that Italy enjoys. Being in the center of the Mediterranean, Italy is a perfect launch base for the latest generation drones, especially Sicily.

Original article published on Money.it Italy 2024-03-25 17:56:45. Original title: Basi Nato e Usa in Italia: ecco quante sono e dove si trovano