Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers (Kingdom of Italy)

Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers
Reparto Speciale Paracadutisti di Pubblica Sicurezza
Coat of arms of the Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers
Active	1955-present
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Branch	Royal Police Corps
Type	Paratroopers
Role	Riot control; counter-insurgency
Size	800 troops ca.
Part of	C.P.R. Mobile Forces
Garrison/HQ	Italo Balbo Police Barracks, Pavia
Nickname	Parà Blu (Blue Paras)
Motto	Primi ad Arrivare, Ultimi a Cedere (First to arrive, Last to give in)
March	Marciando nella Terra Nemica
Engagements	Somalia 1974 Lebanon 1982
Decorations
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Francesco Polito
Insignia
Beret

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers (Italian: Reparto Speciale Paracadutisti di Pubblica Sicurezza, R.S.P.P.S.) is the elite Royal Police Corps paratroopers unit, tasked with the execution of rapid response and difficult public order services.

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers consists of two battalions of operational rapid deployment, made up of men of great courage, significant ability, resistant to fatigue and of proven loyalty to Fascism. The Special Unit is head-quartered in Pavia.

Officially, the Special Unit is a 24/24-hour standing force ready to receive information and resolve cases related to security, order and legitimate demands of the people.

The Special Task Force has been accused of various human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings and involvement in the disappearance of individuals.

The physical and technical-professional training is intense and exhausting and esprit de corps is very high; the Paratroopers Companies have environmental specializations, as well as the "Paratrooper Explorer" military qualification.

History

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers traces its own origins from the immediate aftermaths of the African War (1950-1952), being established in 1955.

Origins

After the African War (1950-1952), the Italian Armed Forces and Italy itself went through a convulsive period, full of tensions and dangers for internal security.

Some regions were reservoirs of weapons and subversive and dissident fascist movements and outright militias (stemmed from the M.V.S.N.) that made themselves abusers and violence of all kinds, and the police, under staff and still suffering from the institutional trauma and the war trials could do very little, without uniform uniforms and without means. , with semi-destroyed archives, often arriving themselves to be attacked and disarmed.

The Fascist leadership deemed necessary to set up an operational unit of rapid employment, made up of men of great courage, considerable ability, resistant to the efforts and proven loyalty to the Italian Social Republic. Lieutenant General Graziano Matteucci, the first head of the Republican Police Corps, remembered the El Alamein epic and with a happy intuition, at the beginning of 1955, he decided to set up a "Special Unit" (Reparto Speciale), contacting the former paratroopers and offering them enlistment in this new special unit, getting an enthusiastic response.
The Unit was initially based in Aversa (near Naples) and immediately began a hard training away from prying eyes and ears. The classification was likewise secured by parachuting officers who were veterans of war. The Command was assigned to Major Mario Gajeri. The Unit was thus formed:

• 1st P.S. Paratroopers Company, equipped with light weapons, consisting of machine guns and submachine guns;
• 2nd Motor-armoured Company, that had 9 armoured cars and a platoon of motorcycle paratroopers armed with submachine guns;
• Command Company, that gathered offices and logistic and technical services.

Such configuration lasted until mid-1970s. The region where the most frequent were the violence and the aggressions to the citizens and the Police forces, with relevant problems of public order turned out to be Tuscany and the Decio Canzio Barracks was available in Scandicci (near Florence), the Unit was transferred sanctioning is official constitution on 29 September 1955.

On 1 February 1958 the Unit assumed the name of IV Special Celere Unit (IV Reparto Speciale Celere) and its Paratroopers Company was dismounted; on 1 February 1965 the name was reverted back to Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers, the Paratroopers Company was brought back on the planes and the unit was transferred in Pavia.

Years of Lead

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers has been engaged in numerous operations both in metropolitan Italy and overseas or in various theaters of external operations. Thus, for example, it was involved in the maintenance of public order alongside other Celere units during the episode of the Varese nuclear power plant (1978-1981), during the Years of Lead, and in Somalia, where it actively participated in the implementation and the smooth conduct of the referendum that brought the corporatist reforms on 27 June 1974.
In 1975 the Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers was upgraded to a Grouping (Raggruppamento, Regiment-level unit). The organization of the new Special Grouping of Public Security Paratroopers (Raggruppamento Speciale Paracadutisti di Pubblica Sicurezza) was:

• Command Company;
• 1st P.S. Paratroopers Unit (1° Reparto Paracadutisti di P.S.);
  • 1st P.S. Paratroopers Company;
  • 2nd P.S. Paratroopers Company;
  • 3rd P.S. Paratroopers Company;
• 2nd P.S. Mechanized Unit (2° Reparto Meccanizzato di P.S.);
  • 4th Motorized Riflemen Company;
  • 5th Motorized Riflemen Company;
  • 6th Motor-armoured Company.

The new organization was designed in order to provide a reliable maneuver mass outside the then-National Republican Guard and under the direct control of the Interior Ministry.

1980s onwards

With the police reforms of the 1980s, the unit retained its paratrooper status and its particularities: separate recruitment, maroon beret, etc, but its missions shifted to support of special operations. In 1983, the Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers received among its main attributions the support and the support of the special intervention units.

Between the late 1980s and early 1990s the Special Grouping of Public Security Paratroopers was considered among the units most loyal to the ruling establishment; with the rise to power of Italo Debalti the Grouping was reduced in size. Over the years, this mission lost relative importance and the unit was also required to develop special know-how in the areas of security-protection and intelligence-gathering for the benefit of other units of the security establishment.

Mission

Its missions are generally large-scale operations against terrorism and organized crime. It was also used for maintaining public order, for searches for persons in difficult environments, and for reinforcing the security of French diplomatic missions abroad. One of the unit's platoons specialised in VIP protection.

Missions entrusted to the Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers are of two broad types:

• Military duties (typical of paratroopers):
  • Preventive occupation and defence of positions;
  • Guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency;
  • Support to contingents of the C.P.R. or Carabinieri in operations abroad;
  • Entry force;
  • Quick reaction force;
• Police duties:
  • Support to territorial units of the Carabinieri;
  • Riot control (particularly difficult or complex situations);
  • Security at diplomatic missions in "at risk" countries;
  • VIP escort;

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers is a crowning units for special operations (Italian: Unità di coronamento per le operazioni speciali), i.e. is tasked with protection and belting of special forces, as well as operational support to Special Forces units. The Special Unit is also used in areas throughout the country, which are, due to morphological and social characteristics, difficult to control even by the Carabinieri counter-insurgency units.

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers is also charged of carrying out special, both protective and security, missions, both at home and abroad (in the Italian Empire), especially for overcoming heavy resistance and destroying discovered terrorist, criminal, and rebellious groups. Although the main task is to crack down guerrillas or dangerous criminals, they can be used to support the Imperial Guard in performing politically motivated arrests.

Support to territorial units

The "Tuscia" Battalion can assist the territorial units both of the Royal Carabinieri and of the Royal Police Corps in the control and surveillance of mountainous or otherwise impervious terrain and the search for dangerous fugitives (alongside the specialized counter-guerilla battalions).

Counter-terrorism

In order to cope with counter-terrorism needs, in 2016 the counter-terrorist establishment of the Public Security and both the "Tuscia" Battalion and the Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers formed four Counter-terrorism Combined Units (Unità Combinate Anti Terrorismo, U.C.A.T.) in Italy in order to allow the Special Intervention Group to carry out hostage rescue and urban warfare while being protected by the police paratroopers units.
The counter-terrorist combined units are deployed in sensitive locations and on special occasions; these units are designed in order to be able to fight in urban warfare and terrorist attack scenarios, as well as hostage rescue, also in cooperation with forces of the G.N.R. Brigade "Etna" and M.V.S.N. G.I.S.Mi..

Organization

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers is considered an enhanced "Unit" (Italian: Reparto, Battalion-level military element in Royal Police Corps parlance); the R.S.P.P.S. differs from ordinary Reparti because it contains a strong Reparto on its own and adds some support units and it is commanded by a full Colonel (currently Colonel Francesco Polito). The R.S.P.P.S., since 1993, has maintained a nearly constant structure. As of 2015, it consists of:

• Command Office: Commander support;
• Training Unit;
• Command and Services Company: logistics support;
• Paratroopers Unit "Audacia" (Reparto Paracadutisti, Battalion-level):
  • Command Platoon;
  • Public Security Paratroopers Company "Grifoni";
  • Public Security Paratroopers Company "Draghi";
  • Public Security Paratroopers Company "Aquile";
  • Public Security Mechanized Company "Tori";
  • Public Security Motorcyclist Paratroopers Platoon
  • Support Platoon.

The Paratroopers Companies are equipped with light weapons and mortars.

Public Security Paratroopers Company

The Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers (Compagnia Paracadutisti di P.S.) deploys three Public Security Paratroopers Companies almost identical in their organization and makeup. The Company's combat mission is to close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuvre in order to destroy or capture him or repel is assaoults by fire, close range combat and counter-attack. The Paratroopers Company provides a base of fire and maneuvre element, closes with the enemy to destroy or capture him, seizes and holds terrain, maneuvres in all types of terrain and under all climatic conditions, capitalizes on all forms of mobility, conducts parachute assaults, and conducts combat operations under limited visibility conditions. Each Company is 169-troops strong and consists of:

• 1 Command and Services Platoon
• 3 Paratroopers Platoons
• 1 Mortars Platoon
• 1 Anti-tank Platoon

The Command and Services Platoon consists of the Command Squad, consisting in turn of the Company Comamander, a Captain, the Deputy Commander, a Lieutenant, and of an experienced Chief Marshal of P.S. or Marshal Major of Public Security, and of the Services Squad, consisting of an experienced Chief Marshal of P.S., a radio operator and two messengers and drivers (usually Agents or Appointees).
Each Paratroopers Platoon consists of a Command Squad, consisting in turn of the Company Comamander, a Lieutenant, and of the Deputy Commander, an experienced Chief Marshal of P.S. or Marshal Major of Public Security, a radio operator and two messengers and drivers (usually Agents or Appointees) and 3 Assault Squads, each consisting of 13 troops, a Sergeant (Brigadiere) and 12 Agents or Appointees.
The Mortars Platoon consists of a Command Squad, consisting in turn of the Company Comamander, a Lieutenant, and of the Deputy Commander, an experienced Chief Marshal of P.S. or Marshal Major of Public Security, a Target management squad, consisting of a Marshal and 5 Sergeants and Appointees, and of three Mortars Squads, each consisting of a mortar and of three troops.
The Anti-tank platoon consists of a Command Squad, consisting in turn of the Company Comamander, a Lieutenant, and of the Deputy Commander, an experienced Chief Marshal of P.S. or Marshal Major of Public Security, and of 3 Recoilless light guns Squads (6 troops and 3 guns each).

Public Security Mechanized Company

The Public Security Mechanized Company is comprised of three Mechanized Platoons with each platoon having 4 Dardo and 3 Infantry Squads. There are also two additional Dardo in the Company (one for the Commander and one for the Deputy Commander). A Mechanized Company can place 14 Dardo and 9 10-troops strong Infantry Squads on the battlefield, for a total of 110 troops.
Along with the Dardo, the company also possesses two Fiat VM 90 Torpedo Protetto wheeled vehicles in the Company Headquarters. One is for use for the Company Commander, while the other one is normally shared by the Deputy Commander and by senior Subofficers for use in making logistical runs to the rear. The company also has two Iveco ACTL 6x6 cargo trucks utilized in its supply section. Besides the organic vehicles in the company, the Commander may receive other vehicles and personnel to accomplish his purpose and task.

Public Security Motorcyclist Paratroopers Platoon

The Public Security Motorcyclist Paratroopers Platoon is the Special Unit's mobile tactical element with tasks of exploration, avant-garde, flanking and rearguard. The Platoon consists of a Squad Command (an expert Subofficer, a radio operator and two messengers), three Squads each consisting of 13 motorcycle paratroopers and two machine guns for a total of 43 troops. Tasks assigned to the Platoon include:

• Exploration;
• Preventive occupation of localities or road nodes;
• Exploitation of success and pursuit;
• Retreat protection;
• Unit securiy during march;
• Tactical support.

See also

• Royal Police Corps (Kingdom of Italy)