Bruno Branciforte

Bruno Branciforte (born November 6, 1947) is an Italian admiral, who was the last head of the Italian SISMI military intelligence, nominated by Prime minister Romano Prodi on November 21, 2006. He succeeded to Nicolò Pollari on December 16 and remained in charge until August 3, 2007, when SISMI was disbanded and transformed in AISE - Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (Agency for External Information and Security).

Born in Naples, he studied at the Naval Academy of Livorno. He entered the Italian Navy in 1969. From 1976 to 1978 he commanded the Aquila Corvette. In 1979 he was named to the Second Intelligence unit of the chief of staff of the Navy, before being appointed director of the Intelligence Center of the Navy and then director of the research center in 1985.

In 1985, he was named Captain of frigate, and quickly became first commandant of the cruiser Vittorio Veneto, before being named commandant of the Alisea frigate. In 1987 he was again assigned to the chief of staff of the Navy, before being nominated in Washington D.C., where he worked from 1989 to 1992.

When he returned to Italy, he became commandant of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi. Promoted Rear Admiral in 1995, he was from December 15, 2001 to February 12, 2002 Italy's representative at Tampa (USA), near the USCENTCOM, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He became chief of staff of the Navy from 2001 to 2004

He was promoted Vice-Admiral in February 2004.

References

• Branciforte, una vita in Marina e tante relazioni con gli Usa, La Repubblica, 20 November 2006 (Italian)