# Chief of the Defence Staff (Italy)

The Chief of the Defence Staff of Italy is the service head of the Italian Armed Forces.
The current Chief of the Defence staff is General Luciano Portolano.

## History

The post was established in 1925 as Chief of the General Staff (Capo di Stato Maggiore Generale). From 1941 until 1945, it was Capo del Comando Supremo. In 1947 it assumed its present name.
The Chief of the Defense staff, since 1998, to exercise his duties, uses two joint bodies:
* Stato maggiore della Difesa (Defense Staff)
* Comando operativo di vertice interforze (Joint-top operational command)

## List of chiefs of the defence staff
### Kingdom of Italy (1925–1946)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Badoglio, PietroMarshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio (1871–1956) | 4 May 1925 | 4 December 1940 | 15 years, 214 days | Royal Italian Army |
| 2 | Cavallero, UgoMarshal of Italy Ugo Cavallero (1880–1943) | 5 December 1940 | 1 February 1943 | 2 years, 58 days | Royal Italian Army |
| 3 | Ambrosio, VittorioGeneral Vittorio Ambrosio (1879–1958) | 2 February 1943 | 18 November 1943 | 289 days | Royal Italian Army |
| 4 | Ambrosio, VittorioMarshal of Italy Giovanni Messe (1883–1968) | 19 November 1943 | 1 May 1945 | 1 year, 163 days | Royal Italian Army |

### Italian Republic (1945−present)

| No. | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 5 | Trezzani, ClaudioGeneral Claudio Trezzani (1881–1955) | 2 May 1945 | 1 December 1950 | 5 years, 213 days | Italian Army |
| 6 | Efisio Marras, LuigiLieutenant General Luigi Efisio Marras (1888–1991) | 2 December 1950 | 15 April 1954 | 3 years, 134 days | Italian Army |
| 7 | Mancinelli, GiuseppeLieutenant General Giuseppe Mancinelli (1895–1976) | 16 April 1954 | 31 March 1959 | 4 years, 349 days | Italian Army |
| 8 | Rossi, AldoLieutenant General Aldo Rossi (1898–1990) | 1 April 1959 | 31 January 1966 | 6 years, 305 days | Italian Army |
| 9 | Aloia, AldoLieutenant General Aldo Aloia (1905–1980) | 1 February 1966 | 24 February 1968 | 2 years, 23 days | Italian Army |
| 10 | Vedovato, GuidoLieutenant General Guido Vedovato (1906–2001) | 25 February 1968 | 14 January 1970 | 1 year, 323 days | Italian Army |
| 11 | Marchesi, EnzoLieutenant General Enzo Marchesi (1907–1996) | 15 January 1970 | 31 July 1972 | 2 years, 198 days | Italian Army |
| 12 | Henke, EugenioVice Admiral Eugenio Henke (1909–1990) | 1 August 1972 | 31 January 1975 | 2 years, 183 days | Italian Navy |
| 13 | Viglione, AndreaLieutenant General Andrea Viglione (1914–1992) | 1 February 1975 | 31 January 1978 | 2 years, 364 days | Italian Army |
| 14 | Cavalera, FrancescoLieutenant General Francesco Cavalera (1919–2013) | 1 February 1978 | 31 January 1980 | 1 year, 364 days | Italian Air Force |
| 15 | Torrisi, GiovanniVice Admiral Giovanni Torrisi (1917–1992) | 1 February 1980 | 2 September 1981 | 1 year, 213 days | Italian Navy |
| 16 | Santini, VittorioLieutenant General Vittorio Santini (1920–2012) | 3 September 1981 | 12 October 1983 | 2 years, 39 days | Italian Army |
| 17 | Bartolucci, LambertoLieutenant General Lamberto Bartolucci (1924–2020) | 13 October 1983 | 8 January 1986 | 2 years, 88 days | Italian Air Force |
| 18 | Bisogniero, RiccardoLieutenant General Riccardo Bisogniero (1923–2018) | 9 January 1986 | 31 March 1988 | 2 years, 82 days | Italian Army |
| 19 | Porta, MarioVice Admiral Mario Porta (1925–2018) | 1 April 1988 | 31 March 1990 | 1 year, 364 days | Italian Navy |
| 20 | Corcione, DomenicoLieutenant General Domenico Corcione (1929–2020) | 1 April 1990 | 31 December 1993 | 3 years, 274 days | Italian Army |
| 21 | Venturoni, GuidoAdmiral Guido Venturoni (born 1934) | 1 January 1994 | 14 February 1999 | 5 years, 44 days | Italian Navy |
| 22 | Arpino, MarioGeneral Mario Arpino (born 1937) | 15 February 1999 | 31 March 2001 | 2 years, 44 days | Italian Air Force |
| 23 | Moschini, Rolando MoscaGeneral Rolando Mosca Moschini (born 1939) | 1 April 2001 | 9 March 2004 | 2 years, 343 days | Italian Army |
| 24 | Di Paola, GiampaoloAdmiral Giampaolo Di Paola (born 1944) | 10 March 2004 | 11 February 2008 | 3 years, 338 days | Italian Navy |
| 25 | Camporini, VincenzoGeneral Vincenzo Camporini (born 1946) | 12 February 2008 | 17 January 2011 | 2 years, 339 days | Italian Air Force |
| 26 | Abrate, BiagioGeneral Biagio Abrate (born 1949) | 18 January 2011 | 30 January 2013 | 2 years, 12 days | Italian Army |
| 27 | Binelli Mantelli, LuigiAdmiral Luigi Binelli Mantelli (born 1950) | 31 January 2013 | 27 February 2015 | 2 years, 28 days | Italian Navy |
| 28 | Graziano, ClaudioGeneral Claudio Graziano (1953–2024) | 28 February 2015 | 5 November 2018 | 3 years, 250 days | Italian Army |
| 29 | Vecciarelli, EnzoGeneral Enzo Vecciarelli (born 1957) | 6 November 2018 | 18 October 2021 | 2 years, 347 days | Italian Air Force |
| 30 | Cavo Dragone, GiuseppeAdmiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone (born 1957) | 19 October 2021 | 3 October 2024 | 2 years, 351 days | Italian Navy |
| 31 | Portolano, LucianoGeneral Luciano Portolano (born 1960) | 4 October 2024 | Incumbent | 23 days | Italian Army |