Aviazione dell’Esercito at Viterbo

From 1979 51° Gruppo Squadroni was engaged in the “Leonte 2” peacekeeping mission in Naqoura, in southern Lebanon, supporting the personnel at the Italair Task Force of the UN multinational contingent called United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon – UNIFIL.

The Qatar NH-90 training programme started in 2019 under 3 REOS under a Task Force called “Nemo”. In 2021 this group transferred to 51° Gruppo Squadroni using six dedicated NH-90s. The programme consisted of the following phases:

Phase 1 – Conversion To Type (CTT) with 24 hours on flight simulator at Marignane (France) and 6 hours on the NH-90;

Phase 2 – Advanced with 10 hours on the flight simulator and 6 on the NH-90 during which the pilots consolidated basic aircraft systems management skills. This took place at Viterbo; and

Phase 3 – Operational Training (OT) also at Viterbo with 40 hours on the simulator and 85 on the NH-90 to cover all operational procedures and tasks.

Each training course lasted 53 weeks. The training programme was completed in 2022.

Candidates for the regiment must undertake and pass the Basic Operator Course for Special Operators for pilots, air crew and on-board machine gunners. The course lasts approximately 33 weeks. Once qualified from here, candidates then specialise to become REOS crews and complete courses covering survival in cold and hot mountainous terrain and marine environments as well as mission planning and many other special operations skills.

Today the subordinate squadrons are: 261° Gruppo Squadroni ETM (426° Gruppo Squadroni) with CH-47C operated 2014-2015 and CH-47F operated from 2015, 262° Gruppo Squadroni ESC (526° Gruppo Squadroni) with AB 412 operated from 2014 and 263° Gruppo Squadroni ETT with NH90TTH operated from 2014.

26° Gruppo Squadroni’s fleet includes 9 NH90s, 5 CH-47Fs and 5 AB412s and is the only unit to operate three different transport types.

The CAAE participates in many exercises and missions to ensure training takes place in real situations. The 1970s saw the introduction of armament for helicopters and the introduction of tactical flight techniques for attack.

Over the decades the role and responsibilities of the Army have changed dramatically and the CAAE has naturally been at the forefront of making and embedding these changes. Today the CAAE is responsible for training all pilots and aircraft technicians of the Army, a true national centre of excellence. It trains crews and flight units in Forward Medical Evacuation, qualification courses for pilots and technicians, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) courses, first aid, firefighting, winch operators and on-board machine gunners to name some of the topics covered.

The CAAE has been involved with training the Austrian Air Force on their new AW169 fleet. Training started in April 2022 and the courses lasted approximately 13 weeks.