Italy is set to donate six armoured vehicles formerly used by the Italian Carabinieri to the Somali police force, under a bilateral defence cooperation agreement signed between the two governments.
The transfer of the six VM-90P vehicles, valued at more than 170,000 euros ($198,000), was approved by the Foreign Affairs and Defence committees of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies and Senate on July 29, just before Parliament’s summer recess. The Italian Defence Ministry has confirmed the donation will not add any extra costs to its defence budget.
The donation comes as Somalia continues its efforts to strengthen the capacity of its national security forces and gradually assume greater responsibility for the country’s security. Italy and Somalia have maintained a formal defence partnership since signing a General Cooperation Agreement in Rome in September 2013, which took effect in July 2016 and remains in force with no fixed expiration date.
The VM-90Ps have been declared out of service by the Carabinieri Logistics Inspectorate due to their age, high maintenance costs and limited operational capabilities. They have been progressively replaced by the newer VTLM Lince light multirole tactical vehicles. Italian defence officials have described the vehicles as technically obsolete, having entered the logistics cycle between 1996 and 2004. Their underbody protection was designed primarily against small arms fire and shrapnel, not mines or improvised explosive devices—a limitation that proved tragically fatal in 2006 when an IED struck a VM90P in Nasiriyah, Iraq, killing four Italian soldiers and one Romanian soldier.
Italy’s Military Code permits the free transfer of defence equipment declared out of service to developing countries and other eligible recipients, provided the relevant parliamentary committees give their approval. Somalia is classified as a least developed country by the UN Committee for Development Policy.
This is not Italy’s first contribution to Somali security forces. In 2025, Rome transferred equipment worth approximately 50,000 euros, including riot-control gear, uniforms, personal equipment, stationery and hygiene supplies. A second shipment of similar value is currently awaiting authorisation.
The agreement between the two countries aims to strengthen cooperation between their armed forces, improve defence capabilities and enhance security coordination, while also facilitating the exchange of equipment to improve interoperability
