The 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment 'Aldebaran' (3rd REOS or REOS) is an important and highly strategic helicopter regiment of the Italian Army qualified, within NATO, as a Special Operations Air Task Group (SOATG).
It employs three flight lines on CH47s, AB412s and NH90s to conduct operations in the Full Spectrum of special forces' specific missions, both domestically and outside the area.
The regiment is located at the Tommaso Fabbri airport in Viterbo on 10 November 2014, the reconfiguration of the 26th Army Aviation REOS Squadron Group 'Jupiter', in order to develop an increasing operational capability to support Italian special forces and to be able to operate in new scenarios.
History
The 39th Air Cavalry Squadron Group 'Dragon' was born on 24 July 1964 at Alghero-Fertilia Airport, where a Light Aircraft Section (S.A.L.) was set up to support special operations and report directly to the Special Units Regiment.
In November 1989 the unit was elevated to the rank of 'Drago' Squadron Group by taking AB412 helicopters in force, and disbanded in 2000. From 1 September 2001 the 1st Air Cavalry Regiment 'Antares', aligns among its units the 26th Army Aviation Squadron Group 'Jupiter', stationed at the Pisa-San Giusto base and already framed at the Parachute Brigade 'Folgore".
The 26th REOS 'Jupiter
The 26th Special Operations Helicopter Unit (REOS) 'Jupiter'. was established in 2002 from the merger of the 26th 'Giove' Squadron Group of Pisa (formerly belonging to the 'Folgore' parachute brigade), the 51st 'Leone' Squadron Group of Viterbo and the 39th 'Drago' Squadron Group of Alghero, and framed until 2012 in the 1st AVES Regiment 'Antares'.
The 26th REOS had a squadron group consisting of two flight squadrons (one operating on CH-47 helicopters and the other on AB-412 and NH-90 helicopters); in order to ensure the necessary operational and logistical autonomy, it was equipped with an O.A.I. section, a logistics section and a maintenance squadron.
In this configuration, he took part in the 'Ancient Babylon' mission in Iraq from November 2003 at March 2004. Since then, the REOS crews, framed within the AVES task forces, were deployed as a dedicated air component to support the Special Forces deployed in the Iraqi and Afghan theatre of operations.
The 3rd Regiment
The 10 November 2014with the establishment of the Army Special Forces Command (COMFOSE), the General Staff decided to upgrade the REOS to regimental level, following a specific project aimed at adapting the operational capacity to the new national and international requirements, and placed it under the COMFOSE.
The 19 November 2014 assumed the war flag that had belonged until the 1998, the year the unit was disbanded, to the 3rd AVES 'Aldebaran' regiment in Bresso (MI) and then kept at the Vittoriano Flag Shrine. In NATO, it is qualified as a Special Operations Air Task Group. In theOctober 2016 from COMFOSE to the Army Aviation Command, under the operational employment of the Land Operations Forces Command (COMFOTER COE).
Organisation
Regimental structure:
- Regimental Command
- Majority and Personnel Office
- Training, Information and Computer Operations Office
- Logistics Office
- Flight Safety Section
- Technical Publications and Maintenance Quality Management System Section
- 26th 'Jupiter' Squadron Group
- Command
- 261st Squadron ETM1
- 2 sections on CH-47
- 262nd Squadron ESC5
- 3 sections HH-412A
- 263rd ETT Squadron
- 3 sections UH-90A
- Support Squadron Group
- Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- Command and Logistics Support Squadron
Selection
Candidates for the department are chosen through a selection process and a training cycle at the AVES Training Centre.
The physical pre-selections consist of a series of tests valid for access to the departments: 9th Parachute Assault Regiment 'Col Moschin', 185th Parachute Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment 'Folgore, 4th Alpine Parachute Regiment 'Monte Cervino', and 3rd REOS 'Aldebaran'.
Those who pass the physical pre-selections are called to attend the selection traineeship, the second stage of the selection process.
This is followed by the two-week selection traineeship, which aims to ascertain not only the candidate's psychophysical characteristics and physical and mental resistance to prolonged exertion, but also his moral and character qualities.
Those who pass the pre-selection for physical fitness and the traineeship are admitted to attend the Basic Special Operations Operator (OBOS) course.
The Basic Operators Course for Special Operators (OBOS) is organised at the RAFOS (Special Operations Forces Training Unit) of the 9th Parachute Assault Regiment 'Col Moschin', for airborne machine-gunners, and at the FS/FOS nucleus of the 3rd REOS for pilots and technical airborne operators.
Trainees deemed fit at the end of the OBOS begin the specialisation phase, which is different for each final destination department.
Candidates to become REOS crews carry out the following modules:
- survival in a snowy mountain environment
- survival in a non-snowy mountain environment
- survival in the marine environment
- planning and conducting flight missions using specific methods
Supplied aircraft
The regiment is staffed with three flight lines on:
- Agusta-Bell AB 412
- Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- NHIndustries NH90