Servizio Informazioni Operative e Situazione (Operative Informations and Situation Service) was an Italian

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

and security service serving from 1949 until 1997. Its main duty was safeguarding the internal security of military bases and its personnel and military intelligence activities against enemy and foreign forces, especially through SIGINT activities. It was composed of three divisions: the SIOS Marina ("SIOS Navy"), the SIOS Aeronautica ("SIOS Air Force") and the SIOS Esercito ("SIOS Army"). Some SIOS personnel came from the ranks of the Arma dei Carabinieri ( Force of Carabinieri) for the power of Military Police that Carabinieri has. The SIOS personnel operated under the authority of the

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of their respective

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, and they also shared coordination goals with

SIFAR Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare (abbreviated SISMI, ''Military Intelligence and Security Service'') was the military intelligence intelligence agency, agency of Italy from 1977–2007. With the reform of the Italian Inte ...

(then become SID and after

SISMI Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare (abbreviated SISMI, ''Military Intelligence and Security Service'') was the military intelligence agency of Italy from 1977–2007. With the reform of the Italian Intelligence Services app ...

). Since 1998, the

II Reparto informazioni e sicurezza II is the Roman numeral for 2. II may also refer to: Biology and medicine * Image intensifier, medical imaging equipment *Invariant chain, a polypeptide involved in the formation and transport of MHC class II protein *Optic nerve, the second ...

- II RIS ("Security and Intelligence Section", ''not'' to be confused with the RIS, Reparto Investigazioni Scientifiche, "Scientific Investigation Section", the forensic science unit of the Carabinieri) and its intelligence branch: CII,

Centro Intelligence Interforze The Centro Intelligence Interforze (CII; Italian for ''Joint Intelligence Centre'') is the military intelligence agency of the Italian Armed Forces. It was created in 2000 by merging the intelligence and security services of three branches of t ...

("Joint Intelligence Center"), serves at the joint level the same purposes previously attended by the SIOS.

External links

The Italian Intelligence and Security Services Official Website - A brief history
{{Italy-stub Italian intelligence agencies Government agencies established in 1949 Government agencies disestablished in 1997 1949 establishments in Italy 1997 disestablishments in Italy