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 valley, 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
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 valley, 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 
Alpine Brigade "Orobica"