Military Information Service (Kingdom of Italy)

The Military Information Service (Italian: Servizio Informazioni Militari, S.I.M.) is the military intelligence agency of the Italian Social Republic. SIM is responsible for intelligence and security activities involving the military defence of Italy and for the integrity of the Italian State and of the Italian Empire.
SIM reports to the Italian Ministry of Defence and operates both inside and outside of Italy's borders, and is required to disclose to him all information received or otherwise in its possession, analyzes and elaborate situations, the transactions made and all matters relating to its activities.
The SIM has the duty to seek and develop expertise in the areas of all relevant information to the defense of the independence, integrity and security of the Italian Social Republic by military or non-criminal threats; it carries out the activities of intelligence and security to protect the Italian military, scientific and industrial interests, and also identifies and counteracts the military and espionage activities aimed at harming national interests. It is feasible that domestic Intelligence and Security, which normally fall under OVRA or Public Security's jurisdiction, involve SIM too, unless the security threat came from organized crime. In theory, SIM and OVRA should work together; however, in practice they are two hotly rival agencies. SIM duties include also clearing activities with the Chief of Government and with the Duce.

Cooperation duties

The SIM can use, with the authorization of the Chief of Government, means and infrastructures of any other State administration.
Within their respective powers, the Armed Forces, Police Forces, Security Forces, officers and agents of judicial police and of public security provide all possible cooperation, including technical-operational, personnel services of information for security, for carrying out the tasks entrusted to them. If the requested information are related to criminal investigations, they can be acquired only after receiving the authorization or nulla osta by the Minister of Justice, if they are covered by the confidentiality of investigations. The judicial authority may forward the documents and information on its own initiative.

Personnel

SIM Personnel is made up employees, both civilian and military, who are transferred, with their consent, and employed exclusively by the Service, as well as personnel directly recruited. The Chief of Government, by decree and upon proposal of the Minister of Defence, appoints and dismisses the Commander of SIM, selected from the General of Army Corps or equivalent ranks. Service personnel do not hold the status of officer or agent of Judicial Police: these qualities are suspended during the period of belonging to SIM for those that hold this status according to the regulations of the administration of origin.
In relation to the conduct of activities strictly necessary for a specific operation, the status of officer of agent of Public Security, with prevention police functions, may be attributed to any of the employees, for not more than one year, by the Chief of Government. The attribution of the qualification is renewable and is communicated to the Minister of the Interior. Service personnel must report the facts constituting an offence to the Commander who informs the Chief of Government.
The Commander of the Service, upon notice to the Chief of the Government, may authorize the use, on the part of employees, identification documents and certificates containing cover identities. These documents do not confer qualifications of agent or officer of the judicial police, public security or tax police. In addition, the Service Commander may authorize the exercise of economic activities simulated, of whatever nature.

Organization

The Service is divided into 16 Divisions and three Directorates. Each Division has an its own secretariat, with an its own archive protocol.

• 1st Division - Defence: military security and counter-espionage;
• 2nd Division - Research: foreign espionage;
• 3rd Division - Analysis: data elaboration and analys;
• 4th Division - Situation: international relations;
• 5th Division - Internal Security
• 6th Division - Military intelligence
• 7th Division - Counter-terrorism
• 8th Division - Industry: Industrial security, contracts and weapon exports;
• 9th Division - Operations
  • Special Services Section
• 10th Division - Security and Territory
• 11th Division - Telecommunications: communications wiretappings
• 12th Division - Science
• 13th Division - Informatics
• 14th Division
• 15th Division
• 16th Division
• Health Directorate
• Air Directorate (Headquartered in Ciampino airport)
• Personnel Directorate

The departments and offices involved in the information and security detached at each armed force or armed corps of the State are concerned only with military-technical and military police activities, limited to the individual Armed force or Corps, and work under the SIM.

Second Unit of Information and Security

The Second Unit of Information and Security (It: II Reparto Informazioni e Sicurezza, II RIS or RIS) is an unit of the Italian military intelligence, dependent on the Defence General Staff. The Second Unit was established in 1998 and it employs the Armed Force Intelligence Services.<nr> All Offices of Military Attaches and the National Intelligence Cells scattered in operational theaters, as well as military delegations to international organizations and alliances, depend on the Unit. The Unit has the task of character and general safety information in Italy and abroad, military-technical and military police (in cooperation with the National Republican Guard); in particular, the Unit is responsible for each useful information in order to protect the principals and the activities of the armed forces abroad. Therefore, it operates mainly in war zones and areas at risk where they are employed Italian soldiers.
The Unit works with the functional dependencies of SIM.