The Italian Naval Aviation (Italian: Aviazione Navale) is the naval air component of the Italian Navy composed of around 2000 men and women and 69 aircraft and helicopters.
| Italian Naval Aviation | |
|---|---|
| Aviazione Navale | |
 | |
| Active | 1913-1937 1956-Present |
| Country | Italy |
| Branch | Italian Navy |
| Type | Naval aviation |
| Size | 2,000 personnel (2015)[1] |
| Part of | Commander in Chief Naval Fleet |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |   |
History
editIt is more commonly known as Naval Aviation as it received various official designations throughout its service and its origins date back to 1913, when it was created as the air branch of the Navy.[2] The service was then disbanded and integrated into the Italian Air Force, upon the creation of this new branch in 1937, when a law gave control of all national fixed-wing air assets to the Italian Air Force.
Having been reactivated in 1956 to operate the Navy's new shipborne helicopters entering service with the Italian frigates.[3] The ban on fixed-wing aircraft was lifted in 1989, and the Italian Navy acquired Harrier II fighters to fly from the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.
In 2009, the Giuseppe Garibaldi was replaced as the flagship of the Italian navy by the new and larger aircraft carrier Cavour.
Organisation
editThe units of the Italian Naval Aviation are based at three civil airports. A small detachment is based at the Italian Air Force's the Pratica di Mare Air Base.[4][5]
- Air Forces Command (Comando delle Forze Aeree - COMFORAER), in Rome
- Aerial Section (Sezione Aerea - SEZAER), at Pratica di Mare Air Base with 3x P.180 Maritime liaison planes
- Naval Aircraft Station (Stazione Aeromobili della Marina Militare - MARISTAER), at Taranto-Grottaglie Airport
- Carrier Air Group (Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati - GRUPAER)
- Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with AV-8B+ Harrier II fighters (being replaced by F-35B Lightning II)
- Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
- Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
- 4th Helicopter Group (Quarto Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT QUATTRO)
- Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with SH-90A ASuW/ASW helicopters and Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles
- Training Unit (Reparto Addestramento) with SH-90A ASuW/ASW helicopters
- Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
- Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
- Carrier Air Group (Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati - GRUPAER)
- Naval Helicopter Station Luni (Stazione Elicotteri della Marina Militare Luni - MARISTAELI Luni), at Sarzana-Luni Airport
- 1st Helicopter Group (Primo Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT UNO)[6]
- 5th Helicopter Group (Quinto Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT CINQUE)
- Naval Helicopter Station Catania (Stazione Elicotteri della Marina Militare Catania - MARISTAELI Catania), at Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
- 2nd Helicopter Group (Secondo Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT DUE)
- 3rd Helicopter Group (Terzo Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT TRE)[7]
- Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with SH-101A ASuW/ASW helicopters
- Training Unit (Reparto Addestramento) with SH-101A ASuW/ASW helicopters
- Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
- Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
Aircraft
edit
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||||||
| AV-8B Harrier II | United States | ground attack | AV-8B+ | 14 | being replaced by F-35B | |
| F-35 Lightning II | United States | Multirole | F-35B | 6 | 20 ordered in total | |
| Liaison | ||||||
| Piaggio P.180 | Italy | Liaison | P.180 Maritime | 3 | ||
| Helicopter | ||||||
| Agusta-Bell 212 | Italy | ASuW/ASW Transport |
SH-212A MH-212B |
33 | being replaced by NH90 | |
| NH90 | EU | ASuW/ASW Transport |
SH-90A MH-90A |
38 | 46 ordered in total 10 ordered in total | |
| AW101 | Italy | ASuW/ASW Transport HEW |
SH-101A MH-101A EH-101A |
8 10 4[8] |
||
| Unmanned aerial vehicles | ||||||
| Camcopter S-100 | Austria | surveillance | 2[9][10] | |||
| Boeing Insitu ScanEagle | United States | surveillance | 10[11] | |||
References
edit- ^ "The Present Aviation - Marina Militare". Marina.difesa.it. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^ "The Naval Aviation - History - Marina Militare". Marina.difesa.it. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^ "Post War Naval Aviation - Marina Militare". Marina.difesa.it. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^ "The Present Aviation". Marina Militare. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Comando delle Forze Aeree". Marina Militare. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Primo Gruppo Elicotteri della Marina Militare". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Terzo Gruppo Elicotteri della Marina Militare". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "EH - 101". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "The Aviationist » The Italian Navy is testing a tiny Camcopter drone from its amphibious warfare ship". The Aviationist. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- ^ "Messaggio Forum". Regiamarinaitaliana.forumgratis.org. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- ^ "Insitu: contract with the Italian Navy for ScanEagle UAS aircraft delivery". Avionews.it. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
Bibliography
edit- Stefano Reduzzi (2013). Cent'anni di aviazione navale. Italian Naval Aviation: The first 100 years. 1913-2013. Aviation Collectables Company. ISBN 978-8890523182.