, 2 June 2006,
Republic Day. NOCS special groups In 1974, the Chief of the Polizia di Stato Anti-Terrorism Bureau, Emilio Santillo, announced the necessity to establish a tactical unit with the capability to arrest known terrorists and to support the local
counter-terrorism field office. Personnel were selected from Police Sports Group "
Fiamme Oro ("Gold Flames"), particularly trained in
martial arts. The 35-man team was denominated "counter-commando unit" and commanded by Maj. Andrea Sgandurra, an officer with
counter-insurgency experiences, and a skilled proponent of hand-to-hand combat skills. After one year of training (offensive driving, sniping, various shooting skills, and a tactical assault course) in 1975, the unit became operational and immediately started a mission against the
left wing terrorist organization NAP ("Nuclei Armati Proletari", Proletarian Armed Service). Later they operated against the right-wing group "New Order", which resulted in the arrests of well-known terrorists Gentile Schiavone and Pierluigi Concutelli. In 1978, the
Italian government decided to modify the structure of the Anti-Terrorist Bureau to improve its capabilities. This change resulted in the formation of
SISMI (military intelligence),
SISDE (civilian intelligence), and a
police counter-terrorism agency (Ufficio Centrale per le Investigazioni Generali e le Operazioni Speciali (UCIGOS) also known as the Central Office for General Investigations and Special Operations). This office was the only one responsible for
Italian counter-terrorism. The UCIGOS's tactical unit became the NOCS (
Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza, Central Security Operations Service), the old counter-commando unit with far more operatives, training, and responsibilities. During its 22 years of existence, NOCS has performed more than 4,500 missions and 205 arrests. The 25–42 operatives studied terrorist methodology and created innovative tactics and procedures. Their motto is
Sicut Nox Silentes (As Silent as Night). In 1982 under the tactical command of Captain Edoardo Perna a 12-man section, without firing a single shot, freed Brigadier General
James Dozier, who had been held hostage by
Red Brigades terrorists. In the following years NOCS expanded in size and capabilities and under new command, then Major Maurizio Genolini, became a full-fledged
counter-terrorism unit, with capabilities of operations on aircraft, trains, buses, embassies, and stadium areas and established good relations with several
counter-terrorism units in the western world. Recently, NOCS has undergone another change and become the Anti-Terrorism Special Operations Division. The unit improved capabilities in C3I and a computer and video section was added. NOCS was innovative regarding the incorporation of computers in training formalizing this with the addition of a separate video section. NOCS also expanded its training in
VIP protection and driving, augmented by training with the well-established
United States Secret Service. This relationship sparked the creation of a unit similar in form and function to
United States Secret Service counter-terrorism teams as well. VIP protection is not a main mission for NOCS, but they are responsible for this duty when high-risk personalities come to
Italy. In 2017, NOCS revealed that a female operator, known as "Marta", became part of the operational unit of the department, one of the first cases in European law enforcement where a woman is recruited in a police-tactical unit. ==Structure==