With
1975 Italian Army reform the regimental level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of multi-arms brigades. At the same time the army reduced and realigned its forces and therefore the Orobica saw some changes to its composition: the 5th Alpini Regiment, 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment, and Mountain Artillery Group "Vestone" were disbanded, while the brigade headquarters and the signal company were merged to form the Command and Signal Unit "Orobica". An anti-tank company was raised, the Light Aircraft Unit "Orobica" was transferred to the newly formed 4th Army Light Aviation Regiment "Altair" of the
4th Army Corps, the Services Grouping "Orobica" was reorganized as a logistic battalion, and the
Alpini Battalion "Edolo" became a training unit. After the reform the brigade's two Alpini battalions had an authorized strength of 950 men, with the exception of the "Val Chiese" Battalion, which was tasked to man fortifications in the
Wipptal,
Passeier and
Vinschgau valleys. The "Val Chiese" fielded three active and three reserve companies with a wartime strength of more than 1,000 men. The two artillery groups had an authorized strength of 610 men and fielded 18
M56 105 mm pack
howitzers each. The new composition was: •
Alpine Brigade "Orobica", in
Meran • Command and Signal Unit "Orobica", in Meran •
Alpini Battalion "Morbegno", in
Sterzing • Headquarters and Service Company • 44th Alpini Company • 45th Alpini Company • 47th Alpini Company • 107th Heavy Mortar Company •
Alpini Battalion "Tirano", in
Mals and
Glurns • Headquarters and Service Company • 46th Alpini Company • 48th Alpini Company • 49th Alpini Company • 109th Heavy Mortar Company •
Alpini (Recruits Training) Battalion "Edolo", in
Meran • Headquarters and Service Company • 50th Alpini (Training) Company • 51st Alpini (Training) Company • 52nd Alpini (Training) Company • 110th Alpini (Training) Company •
Alpini Battalion "Val Chiese", in
Sterzing (reduced to reserve unit on 30 June 1979) • Headquarters and Service Company • 250th Alpini Company, in
Saltaus (Type C*, ex "Val Camonica") • 251st Alpini Company, in
Reschen (Type A*, ex "Val Camonica") • 253rd Alpini Company, in
Brenner (Type A, remained active after 1979) • 254th Alpini Company, in
Gossensaß (Type A) • 255th Alpini Company, in
Pfitsch (Type C) • 364th Alpini Company, in
Franzensfeste (Type C) •
Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo", in
Schlanders • Headquarters and Service Battery • 31st Mountain Artillery Battery • 32nd Mountain Artillery Battery • 33rd Mountain Artillery Battery •
Mountain Artillery Group "Sondrio", in
Sterzing • Headquarters and Service Battery • 51st Mountain Artillery Battery • 52nd Mountain Artillery Battery • 53rd Mountain Artillery Battery •
Logistic Battalion "Orobica", in Meran • Command and Services Platoon • 1st Light Logistic Unit • 2nd Light Logistic Unit • Medium Logistic Unit • Anti-tank Company "Orobica", in Meran • Engineer Company "Orobica", in Meran • Type A = fortification fully equipped, provisioned and manned; close support platoon onsite • Type B = fortification fully equipped, provisioned and manned; close support platoon off site • Type C = fortification fully equipped; provisions, crew and close support platoon off site
Strategic plans in case of war After the 1975 reform the 4th Alpine Army Corps was responsible to defend the Italian border along the
main chain of the alps from the
Swiss-
Austrian-Italian border
tripoint in the west to the Italian-
Yugoslavian border in the east. In case of war with Yugoslavia the 4th Alpine Army Corps would remain static in its position guarding the left flank of the
5th Army Corps, which would meet the enemy forces in the plains of
Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The only brigade which would have seen combat in such a case would have been the
Julia. In case of a war with the
Warsaw Pact the 4th Alpine Army Corps had two war planes: one in the case the Soviet
Southern Group of Forces and
Hungarian Army would march through Yugoslavia and the other in case the Warsaw Pact would violate the
Austrian neutrality and march through Austria. In case the enemy forces would come through Yugoslavia, the Julia would cover the mountainous left flank of the 5th Army Corps, which with its four armoured and five mechanized brigades would try to wear down the enemy before it could break out into the North Italian
Padan plain. The other alpine brigades would remain static. In the more likely case the Soviet and Hungarian divisions would invade Austria and march through Southern
Styria and through the
Drava valley in
Carinthia the alpine brigades would have been the first front line units of the Italian Army. The
Julia would have defended the
Canal Valley, the
Cadore the
Piave valley, and the
Tridentina the
Puster Valley, while the
Taurinense would remain in reserve. Officially the Orobica, with its two Alpini battalions and two Mountain Artillery groups, was tasked with defending the vital
Reschen and
Brenner passes. However, the true mission of the Orobica was to advance into neutral Austria and link up with the German 23rd Gebirgsjäger Brigade of
NATO's
Central Army Group in Southern Germany. It was considered vital to establish a line of communication between the Italian Army and the allied armies fighting in Germany. Therefore, the Alpini Battalion "Morbegno" and the Mountain Artillery Group "Sondrio" based in
Sterzing would have advanced over the Brenner Pass and through the
Wipp valley until
Innsbruck, where they would have linked up with German and American forces coming from
Mittenwald and through the lower
Inn aVlley, while the Alpini Battalion "Tirano" in
Mals supported by the Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo" in
Schlanders would have crossed the Reschen pass and advanced until
Landeck, where they would have linked up with German units coming over the
Fern Pass. Although Austrian military defence plans envisioned a strong defence around Innsbruck to deny an invading force the use of the many important roads crossing the city, there was a tacit understanding that NATO forces would not be opposed if Warsaw Pact forces had invaded Austria first. To aid in the defence of the narrow mountain valleys, the 4th Army Corps re-activated some fortifications of the World War II era
Alpine Wall. In the area of operation of the Orobica the following fortified lines of defence were re-activated during the Cold War: In the
Vinschgau and
Passeier valleys: •
Saltaus: 4 bunker, 169 men, 250th Alpini Company (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento di Saltusio) •
Mals-
Glurns: 9 bunker, no troops assigned after 1964 (before 1964 the 252nd Alpini Company) (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento Malles-Glorenza) •
Reschen pass: 9 bunker, 254 men, 251st Alpini Company (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento Passo Resia) In the
Eisack Valley: •
Brenner pass: 5 bunker, 136 men, 253rd Alpini Company (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento Brennero) •
Gossensaß: 7 bunker 190 men, 254th Alpini Company (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento di Tenne-Novale) •
Pfitsch: 3 bunker, 121 men, 255th Alpini Company (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento di Saletto) •
Franzensfeste: 5 bunker, 165 men, 364th Alpini Company (Italian Wikipedia:
Sbarramento di Fortezza) The defences were to be manned by the troops of the Alpini Battalion "Val Chiese" headquartered in
Sterzing which had six companies dislocated throughout South Tyrol. However, in 1979 the battalion was put into reserve status with only the 253rd Alpini Company remaining on active duty and tasked to maintain and service all the bunker within the Orobica's area of operation. == Today ==