The Arma dei Carabinieri is the gendarmerie and military police of Italy.
According to article 78, the Parliament has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the necessary powers in the Government. The President of the Italian Republic heads the armed forces as the President of the High Council of Defence established by article 87 of the Constitution of Italy. These five forces have military status and are all organized along military lines, comprising a total of 341,250 men and women with the official status of active military personnel, of which 165,500 are in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Despite not being a branch of the armed forces, the Guardia di Finanza is part of the military and operates a large fleet of ships, aircraft and helicopters, enabling it to patrol Italy's waters and to eventually participate in warfare scenarios. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and are also involved in missions and operations abroad as a combat force. The Italian Armed Forces ( Italian: Forze armate italiane) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. Coat of arms of the Italian Defence Staff
