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 List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...

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 the 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 supportin ...

of their respective

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

, and they also shared coordination goals with

SIFAR (; , ) was the military intelligence agency of Italy from 1977 to 2007. With the reform of the Italian Intelligence Services approved on 1 August 2007, SISMI was replaced by Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (AISE).Legislative Act n.12 ...

(then become SID and after

SISMI (; , ) was the military intelligence agency of Italy from 1977 to 2007. With the reform of the Italian Intelligence Services approved on 1 August 2007, SISMI was replaced by Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (AISE).Legislative Act n.12 ...

). Since 1998, the II Reparto informazioni e sicurezza - 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 ("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
Italian intelligence agencies Government agencies established in 1949 Government agencies disestablished in 1997 1949 establishments in Italy 1997 disestablishments in Italy {{Italy-gov-stub