Italy considers adding 100,000 personnel to armed forces

Italy's defence ministry is considering increasing its military personnel by more than 60% over the next 18 years, at an estimated cost of around six billion euros ($7 billion), according to a document seen by Reuters.



The proposal was drawn up by military experts and was presented this week to Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, laying the groundwork for an ambitious plan to overhaul the armed forces that is due to be unveiled by the end of March.



The experts recommended lifting combined personnel numbers for the army, navy and air force to 275,000 up from around 170,000 now, including a 15,000-strong reserve.



Last year, NATO countries agreed to boost defence spending to 5% of national output under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump -- a challenge for heavily indebted Italy, whose budget is traditionally lower than that of its partners.