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| Carabinieri Aviation Unit | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Carabinieri Aviation Unit |
| Native name | Unità Aeromobile Carabinieri |
| Dates | 1920s–present |
| Country | Italy |
| Branch | Arma dei Carabinieri |
| Type | Aviation |
| Role | Airmobile operations, law enforcement support, search and rescue |
| Garrison | Rome |
| Notable commanders | Enzo Gatti |
Carabinieri Aviation Unit The Carabinieri Aviation Unit is the aviation component of the Arma dei Carabinieri, providing rotary‑wing and fixed‑wing support to the Italian State Police apparatus, the Italian Army, and civil protection agencies. It operates alongside institutions such as the Aeronautica Militare, the Guardia di Finanza, the Polizia di Stato, and the Protezione Civile to conduct missions across Italy and in overseas deployments tied to European Union and NATO commitments.
The Aviation Unit traces origins to early 20th‑century experiments in military aviation and the interwar period when the Arma engaged with the Regia Aeronautica and the Royal Italian Army on observation roles. Post‑World War II reorganization saw integration with national reconstruction efforts, cooperation with the Ministero dell'Interno and collaboration during the 1950s economic boom in Italy; during the Cold War it coordinated with NATO structures including Allied Command Europe and participated in public order operations alongside the Polizia Penitenziaria and municipal authorities. In the 1990s and 2000s the Unit modernized aircraft inventories in response to missions in the Balkans during the Yugoslav Wars, multinational deployments with the United Nations and the European Union missions, and domestic disaster responses after events like the 1997 Umbria and Marche earthquake and the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.
The Aviation Unit is administratively under the Arma dei Carabinieri General Command and functionally liaises with the Comando Operativo di Vertice Interforze and the Ministero della Difesa. Its internal structure comprises a central command in Rome, operational squadrons, a technical maintenance wing, an aviation training center, and flight operations coordination linked to regional Carabinieri Legions such as the Legione Carabinieri Lazio and Legione Carabinieri Lombardia. The Unit's chain of command interfaces with NATO's Operational Command elements, the European Union Military Staff for crisis management, and with civil protection through the Dipartimento della Protezione Civile.
The Unit fields a mixed fleet of rotary‑wing and fixed‑wing platforms including modern helicopters derived from manufacturers such as AgustaWestland/Leonardo S.p.A. and utility fixed‑wing aircraft by Piaggio Aerospace and ATR. Typical types include medium twin‑engine transport and emergency medical service configured platforms equipped with avionics from Selex ES, rescue hoists, FLIR systems by Leonardo-Finmeccanica subsidiaries, and communications suites compatible with NATO STANAG protocols. Maintenance and overhaul are performed in coordination with Italian aerospace firms like Alenia Aermacchi and regional maintenance depots linked to the national ENAV air traffic network.
The Unit conducts a wide range of tasks: airborne law enforcement support, VIP transport for state institutions, counter‑terrorism support in coordination with units such as the GIS (Gruppo di Intervento Speciale), search and rescue missions under coordination with the Guardia Costiera and Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, disaster relief alongside the Protezione Civile, and international peacekeeping logistics for UNIFIL and EU Battlegroups. It provides custody and transport for judicial authorities, assists anti‑mafia operations connected to the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia, and supports environmental protection missions in cooperation with the Corpo Forestale dello Stato historical structures and contemporary regional administrations.
Personnel selection draws from Carabinieri ranks with flight crew trained at the Unit's aviation school and through exchange programs with the Aeronautica Militare's Accademia Aeronautica and civilian certifying bodies like the Ente Nazionale Aviazione Civile. Training syllabi cover IFR/ VFR procedures, hoist rescue, mountain flying in coordination with the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, tactical insertion alongside special forces, flight safety standards harmonized with ICAO and NATO directives, and maintenance courses provided with industry partners such as Leonardo S.p.A. and Piaggio Aerospace.
The Aviation Unit operates from multiple airfields and heliports including the central facility near Rome, regional bases in Bari, Naples-Capodichino, Milan—Malpensa, and mountain support detachments near Bolzano and Aosta. Facilities include maintenance hangars, avionics workshops, an air traffic coordination cell integrated with ENAV and local flight information regions, and training ranges co‑located with army and police training centers like those used by the Carabinieri Schools and Training Centre.
Notable deployments include extensive SAR and relief sorties after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, support missions during the 2016 Central Italy earthquakes, anti‑smuggling interdictions in coordination with the Guardia di Finanza in the Mediterranean migration crises, and logistical airlift for Italian contingents to Lebanon and the Balkans during Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina operations. Incidents have involved aviation safety investigations coordinated with the ENAC and civil aviation authorities following mishaps that prompted reviews of training, maintenance, and interoperability with NATO and EU partners.