User:Cayman 5-1/Bravo

The Army Aviation (Aviazione dell'Esercito, abbreviated in AVES) is a specialty of the Italian Army. Missions of the Army Aviation are the search and rescue, combat search and rescue, close air support, troop transportation, supply transportation and reconnaissance. Its members are recognizable by their light blue berets. It is the youngest specialty of the Italian Army.

Organization
Army Aviation units are split between the Army Aviation Command and the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".

Army Aviation Command
The Army Aviation Command (Comando Aviazione dell'Esercito) is a three-star command that consists of the Army Aviation Brigade, the Army Aviation Support Command and the Army Aviation Training Center. The command is headquartered at Viterbo, Lazio.

The Army Aviation Brigade (Brigata Aviazione dell'Esercito) has administrative control of three rotary-wing aircraft regiments and a VIP-transportation fixed-wing aircraft squadrons group. Its subordinate flying units are:


 * 1st Army Aviation Regiment "Antares" - Viterbo, Lazio
 * 11th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Ercole" (CH-47C Chinook)
 * 26th Special Operations Helicopter Unit (CH-47C Chinook, UH-90A and HH-412 Grifone)
 * 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" - Lamezia Terme, Calabria
 * 30th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Pegaso" (UH-212)
 * 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair" - Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
 * 54th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cefeo" (UH-205A)
 * 28th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Tucano" (UC-228 and VC-180A Avanti)

The 26th Special Operations Helicopter Unit will be expanded to regimental status by the end of 2014, renamed 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment "Aldebaran" and placed under the newly-established Army Special Forces Command.

The Army Aviation Training Center (Centro Addestrativo Aviazione dell'Esercito) is tasked with the training of the pilots and their support personnel and the development of new flight techniques. The center is made up by the 1st Training Squadrons Group "Auriga" of Viterbo and the 21st Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Orsa Maggiore" of Elmas, Sardinia (UH-205A).

The 21st "Orsa Maggiore" will be transferred to the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" during the course of 2014.

The Army Aviation Support Command (Comando di Sostegno dell'Aviazione dell'Esercito) is tasked with the maintenance of the aircraft. It is made up by four army aviation support regiments: the 1st "Idra" of Bracciano, Lazio, the 2nd "Orione" of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, the 3rd "Aquila" of Orio al Serio, Lombardy and the 4th "Scorpione" of Viterbo.

Airmobile Brigade "Friuli"
The Airmobile Brigade "Friuli" (Brigata Aeromobile "Friuli") consists of two rotary-wing aircraft regiments:
 * 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel" - Casarsa della Delizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
 * 27th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Mercurio" (AH-129C Mangusta)
 * 49th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Capricorno" (AH-129C Mangusta)
 * 7th Army Aviation Regiment "Vega" - Miramare, Emilia-Romagna
 * 25th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cigno" (UH-205A and UH-90A)
 * 48th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Pavone" (AH-129C Mangusta)
 * 53rd Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cassiopea" (HH-412 Grifone)