He was Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy from 23 February 2010 to 2 March 2012[1] and he succeeded to Nicolò Pollari as the last head of the Italian Military Intelligence and Security Service (SISMI), nominated by Prime Minister Romano Prodi, from 21 November to 2006 to 3 August 2007 when the Agency was dissolved and transformed into the Italian External Intelligence and Security Agency (AISE).

Branciforte attended the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno from 1965 to 1969 when he graduated with the rank of navy guard.

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 15 December 2001 to 12 February 2002 Italy's representative at Tampa (USA), near the USCENTCOM, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.