MILAN — Italy has about 700 military personnel deployed to the Gulf region to help partner nations counter Iranian attacks, a fact that recently entered the public spotlight in the country, drawing criticism from opposition parties in parliament.
Last week, the Italian Ministry of Defense disclosed publicly on its website the presence of two Italian task forces deployed across various Gulf countries to contribute to the surveillance and defense of the area.
The Italian newspaper Il Giornale first noticed the new webpage and brought Task Force Arabia to national attention on July 30 as part of a report outlining the mission’s air component. The Italian Ministry of Defense did not return a request for comment from Breaking Defense, but has argued that deployment of forces shouldn’t be a surprise since the mission was approved by parliament in March, as publicly reported at the time.
According to the ministry’s website, approximately 400 Italian Air Force personnel have been in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait since March, following targeted attacks on those countries from Tehran.
Under Task Force Air-Arabia, notable military capabilities have also been provided: four Eurofighters tasked with supporting the defense of the assigned airspace, E-550A CAEW aircraft for early warning of air threats, and a KC-130J transport aircraft for operational support in “key theaters of national interest in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.”
