The 186th Folgore Regiment in Trentino Alto Adige: Exercise Aquila 5/2025 to Consolidate Operational Readiness

The "Aquila 5/2025" exercise recently concluded successfully at the San Giorgio di Brunico (BZ) training area, an important operational activity featuring a platoon from the 186th Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore". The training, an integral part of a broader cycle aimed at maintaining the operational readiness of the "Folgore" forces, aimed to test and refine tactical capabilities in a particularly challenging mountain environment.

The Aquila 5/2025 Exercise

The exercise placed particular emphasis on conducting offensive, defensive, and enabling operations in complex scenarios, such as those typical of the mountain environment, to develop and improve the operational capabilities of command, control, and maneuver of the units involved. The "Folgore" demonstrated an extraordinarily high level of training, confirming its preparedness to face difficult and challenging operational conditions.

Organized by the 2nd Level Tactical Training Center in Brunico, the exercise took place over two weeks, during which the 186th regiment operated in a Field Training Exercise mode with opposing parties. The activity also involved a team from the 6th Alpini Regiment, integrating vehicles and weapon systems in use to offer maximum training realism. Integrated Land Training Systems and blank ammunition were also employed to ensure a training experience as close to reality as possible.

The Phases of Training

During the exercise, numerous objectives were achieved. Among these, the planning and execution of reconnaissance using drones, the execution of attacks and sweeps, and the defense of inhabited centers and command posts. Particular attention was also given to casualty management, following the international protocols of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), with the employment of qualified military rescue personnel within the operational unit.

A distinctive aspect of the exercise was the use of the LIVEX (Live Exercise) component, which allows units of the Italian Army to operate in real scenarios using individual weapons, vehicles, and weapon systems in use. The exercises were conducted in one of the five Tactical Training Centers of the Army, including the one in Brunico, located in Alto Adige. These centers are equipped with the necessary facilities to simulate real environments and to train personnel to face even "hybrid" threats, which combine regular and irregular forces.

Opposition Forces and Hybrid Threats

The exercise involved the use of specialized units trained to play the role of opposition forces (OPFOR). These forces, through high-intensity scenarios, were able to reproduce forms of conventional offense, as well as other international threats, including the use of irregular forces combined with regular ones, as in the case of "hybrid" threats.

The "Aquila 5/2025" exercise was significantly successful, confirming the ability of the 186th Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore" to operate effectively in mountain environments and maintain high standards of operational readiness. The experiences gained in this field will further strengthen the regiment's skills in complex and ever-evolving combat scenarios.