13th HUMINT Regiment (Italy)

The 13th HUMINT Regiment (13° Reggimento HUMINT) is the Italian Army's only Human Intelligence unit. Formed on 1 August 1960 as Target Acquisition Battalion for the III Missiles Brigade. In 1993 the battalion was disbanded. In 2005 the unit was reformed as a human intelligence battalion assigned to the army's RISTA-EW Brigade. Originally the unit was part of the army's artillery arm, but since becoming a human intelligence unit it has been designated as a "multi-arms unit". In 2018 the battalion was expanded to regiment and since then it is assigned to the Tactical Intelligence Brigade, which combines elements of the artillery and signal arms. The regiment is based in Anzio in Lazio. The regimental anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army artillery regiments, on June 15, the beginning of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.

Cold War


On 1 August 1960 the Target Acquisition Battalion was formed in Vicenza and assigned to the III Missiles Brigade. On 1 January 1961 the battalion was renamed XIII Artillery Reconnaissance Group and on 1 September 1962 XIII Target Acquisition Group. The group consisted of a group command, a command unit, the 1st Battery, which included a paratroopers section, and a light aviation component with SM.1019A planes. The group was tasked with providing tactical surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance after the use of nuclear weapons.

On 1 March 1963 the group moved to Montorio Veronese, while the light aviation component was based at Boscomantico Airport. In 1964 the group added a Remote-controlled Aircraft Section with RP-7l Falconer - AN/USD-1B drones, and in 1967 the group received AB-204B helicopters. In October 1969 the group moved to Verona and on 1 September 1973 it was renamed XIII Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition Group (XIII Gruppo Ricognizione ed Acquisizione Obiettivi - abbreviated XIII GRACO).

During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 1 October 1975 the XIII Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition Group was renamed 13th Target Acquisition Group "Aquileia". On the same day the III Missiles Brigade's Light Aviation Unit was merged into the group. After the reform the group consisted of the following units:


 * CoA mil ITA grp acquisizione obiettivi 013.png 13th Target Acquisition Group "Aquileia"
 * Group Command
 * Command and Services Battery
 * Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition Battery
 * Remote-controlled Aircraft Battery, with Canadair CL-89B "Midge" drones
 * Air Component, at Boscomantico Airport
 * 398th Light Airplanes Squadron, with SM.1019A planes
 * 598th Multirole Helicopters Squadron, with AB-204B helicopters
 * Light Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

On 29 November 1985 the Air Component was disbanded and on 16 December 1986 the group was granted its own flag. On 1 December 1991 the 3rd Missiles Brigade "Aquileia" was reduced to 3rd Artillery Regiment "Aquileia". On 28 September 1992 the regiment was disbanded and the group was transferred to the Artillery Command of the 5th Army Corps. On 31 July 1993 the group transferred its Remote-controlled Aircraft Battery to the 41st Specialists Group "Cordenons" and the paratroopers company became an autonomous unit under the 5th Army Corps' Artillery Command. On 30 September 1993 the group was disbanded and its flag transferred on 10 November 1993 to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.

Recent times
On 28 June 2005 the 13th Battalion "Aquileia" was formed as human Intelligence unit of the RISTA-EW Brigade. The battalion received the flag and traditions of the 13th Target Acquisition Group "Aquileia". On 5 November 2018 the RISTA-EW Brigade was renamed Tactical Intelligence Brigade and on the same day the 13th Battalion "Aquileia" was reorganized as 13th HUMINT Regiment.

Organization
As of 2023 the 13th HUMINT Regiment consists of:


 * 13° Battaglione “Aquileia”.svg Regimental Command, in Anzio
 * Command and Logistic Support Company
 * HUMINT Battalion "Aquileia"