It was established in November 2001 as a High Readiness Force (HRF) of NATO.

The staff of NRDC-ITA is located in Solbiate Olona, a few kilometers northwest of Milan.

In 1997, in the wake of a major restructuring of the Italian Army, the 3rd Army Corps was transformed into the Projection Forces Command (COMFOP) in command and control of three brigades, which were characterized by high mobility and deployability.

[3] Then, in July 2023, it was designated the headquarters of the Allied Reaction Force, a NATO grouping ready to deploy at particularly short notice.

[4] NRDC-ITA is operationally led by NATO's Joint Force Command Headquarters in Naples or Brunssum.