| Aviazione dell' Esèrcito |
The air element of the Esèrcito Italiano, then named Nucleo Aviazione Leggera, was formed at the Scuola dell'Arma di Artiglieria at Bracciano on 24 April 1951. The new organisation started with second hand Stinson L-5's from the Italian Air Force and Piper L-18C and L-21B's delivered under the MDAP programme wearing civil markings as a result from the outcoming of World War II.
The first major step forward was a change in the law that made it possible to utilise military aircraft, both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. The first helicopters, AB-47G's, arrived in 1956. On 31 december 1959 the Aviazione Leggera dell' Esèrcito (ALE) as an independent force within the Esèrcito Italiano was formed with its headquarters in Rome and directly reporting to the Stato Maggiore Esèrcito.
Redesignated Aviazione dell' Esèrcito (AvEs) in 1993, the air component was inserted into the Arma di Cavalleria on 1 june 1999, changing its name yet again. This time changed in Cavalleria dell'Aria on 1 january 2000. In November 2003 it was changed again, this time back to Aviazione dell' Esèrcito, but both designations are still used.
At present, the principal programmes cover the upgrading of the A-129 fleet, the acquisition of a new Tactical Transport Helicopter NH-90, which will be assigned as a priority to the Brigata Aeromobile Friuli and an aircraft in the class of the new AB-139 as future Combat Support Helicopter. The NH-90 and the new Combat Support Helicopter will completely replace the AB-205, AB-212 and AB-412. In a period of some ten years, the Aviazione dell' Esèrcito will have standardised on four types of operational helicopters (A-129, NH-90, the new Combat Support Helicopter and CH-47) against the present seven.
The aircraft have tended in the past not to wear the badges of their parent army unit, but that unit's STANAG. The STANAG, or Standard Agreement, is a number assigned by NATO to each unit in the Esèrcito Italiano, and incidenttally, to other countries units although they are commonly ignored elsewhere. In the case of Italy, this number is painted on tanks, jeeps, trucks, buildings.....in fact, almost everything, and is a permanent link to the owner of the equipment. The STANAG codes can be found in the order of battle overview.
The new structure features the establishment of four principal areas. These comprimise a Forza di Manovra with
the Brigata Aeromobile Friuli
Supporti (Support), consisting of all the other operational flying units;
Formazione (Training), represented by the Centro Cavalleria dell'Aria;
Logistica (Logistics), comprising four Reggimenti di Sostegno
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Photo: Iwan Bögels, http://www.dappa.nl
Photo: Iwan Bögels, http://www.dappa.nl
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Order of Battle