Aerial bomb in Montebello Vicentino, intervention of the 8th Parachute Engineer Regiment Folgore

The clearance of an explosive device dating back to the 1940s was successfully concluded yesterday. Second World War, found on March 17th inside a TAV construction site in Montebello VicentinoThe 500-pound (over 225kg) aerial bomb, a potentially still-lethal remnant of war, was first defused on site and then transported to safety at a quarry in Municipality of Alonte (VI), where it was detonated in a controlled manner.

The delicate operation was carried out by the bomb disposal experts of the8th Parachute Engineer Regiment 'Folgore' based in Legnago (VR), a highly specialized department of the Italian Army in explosive ordnance and war remnant clearance operations, even in high-risk scenarios.

A non-isolated find

The discovery of the aerial bomb it occurred in an area already affected by previous ones war clearance activities. In fact, already in recent months, the specialisti dell’Esercito avevano operato più volte nella stessa zona, caratterizzata da un’intensa Infrastructure activity for the construction of the new high-speed railway line (TAV). The frequency of findings confirms how the Italian subsoil, especially in areas of historical bombings, you still have numerous unexploded ordnance dating back to the World War II.

Initial assessment and safety

After the discovery of March 17, the artificers of the 8th Parachute Engineer Regiment “Folgore” they promptly went to the area of TAV construction site to make a first technical evaluationThe analysis concerned the state of conservation of the device, the type of bomb and the presence of active trigger systems. In consideration of the Dangerousness of the device and the proximity to strategic road infrastructure, the construction of a was immediately ordered containment structure, designed for minimize the damage in case of accidental explosion and reduce the Evacuation radius.

This measure also made it possible to limit the impact on civil activities and on the traffic, allowing a reduction in the evacuation radius, although it was necessary to arrange a temporary suspension of circulation along a stretch of theA4 Brescia-Padova motorway.

Coordination between institutions

The entire operation was managed with careful coordination between different institutions. The Prefecture of Vicenza, in synergy with the Operational Forces Command North of Padua, led the operations on the territory, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and guaranteeing maximum transparency towards the population.

Alongside the Army soldiers, they operated with professionalism and dedication. Vicenza Police Headquarters, the Fire Department, the Italian Red Cross and the emergency medical personnel, ready to intervene at every stage of the operation.

Once the deactivation was completed, the activation systems were separated from the body of the bomb, rendering it harmless. The device was then loaded onto a specially equipped military vehicle and transported to the Alonte quarry, where it was finally neutralized with a controlled detonation, without causing damage or disturbance to the local population.

A daily commitment to serving the Nation

The one in Montebello Vicentino is just one of the many interventions that the Genio Guastatori carries out every year throughout the national territory. Only in the first three months of 2025, l'8th Regiment has completed approximately 100 remediation operations, destroying over 200 war devices of various types and calibers: aerial bombs, artillery shells, mines, grenades and other explosive remnants.

Numbers that tell the importance of a skill that, even eighty years after the end of the conflict, continues to be crucial for public safety and for the development of the country's infrastructure.

The role of the 8th Regiment “Folgore”

L'8th Parachute Engineer Regiment 'Folgore' represents one of the excellence of the Italian Army. Consisting of highly trained staff and equipped with cutting-edge technological means, the Regiment is capable of operating in complex scenarios, both in national scope that in international missions, with tasks ranging from war clearance at combat support, until the humanitarian operations and of civil protection.

L'explosive ordnance disposal activities It's not just about the past, but it's also a investment in the security of the future. Everything is fine bomb defused, Everything is fine intervention completed without incident, is a step forward towards a safer territory for all.

Source: https://www.esercito.difesa.it/comunicazione/Pagine/Neutralizzata-una-bomba-d%E2%80%99aereo-a-Montebello-Vicentino-250413.aspx