17th Raiders Wing

The 17th Raiders Wing (17º Stormo Incursori) is the Italian Air Force special forces unit. It is the youngest special force created in Italy. It is based in Furbara, near Rome and part of the Comando interforze per le Operazioni delle Forze Speciali (COFS—Special Forces Operations Command). Until 8 April 2008 the unit was named Reparto Incursori Aeronautica Militare (RIAM—Air Force Raiders Group) but with the expansion and evolution of the unit's assignments and its size, the name was changed to "17° Stormo Incursori".

Specialisations

 * Combat Search and Rescue (C-SAR)
 * Combat Controller (Forward Air Controller and Joint Terminal Attack Controller)
 * Pathfinder
 * Direct actions against airbases and aeronautical compounds

Raiders Group
Raiders Group divided into: Command, Operations, Vehicles and Special Equipment, and four squadriglie (wings) of raiders, each of two to four detachments of eight to twelve soldiers. This means that the entire operational force will be (at full strength) from 64 to 192 soldiers.

Training Group
This branch provides training for the operational main force but is also capable of providing training sessions on: Evasion and Escape and EOD/EOR/IEDD to other Italian army and navy units.

Vehicles and equipment
The Italian Air Force has HH-3F helicopters to support its activity, as well as C-130J "Hercules IIs" and C-27J "Spartans". There is a requirement for a more modern helicopter, such as NH-90. In the field the operative force is equipped with the VTLM "Lince", quads and jeeps.

This unit has access to a large arsenal of sniper rifles and anti-materiel rifles to be used to knock out aircraft. It also uses mini UAVs such as the "Strix" produced by Galileo Avionica, and L-3 Communication's "ROVER IV".

The 17º Stormo Incursori has a variety of armament and equipment.

Personal weapons

 * 9x19mm Beretta Px4 Storm Type D
 * 9x19mm Glock 17
 * 5,7x28mm Five-Seven
 * Heckler & Koch MP7

Assault and battle rifles

 * 5,56x45mm Heckler & Koch 416
 * Heckler & Koch G36
 * FN SCAR
 * ARX-160A2
 * 7,62x51mm Heckler & Koch HK417
 * MP-5A3
 * MP-5SD3
 * Benelli M4

Sniper rifles

 * 7,62x51mm Sr-25/Mk-11
 * 7,62x51mm Sako TRG-22
 * 8,6x70mm Sako TRG-42

Anti-materiel rifles

 * 10,4x77mm BCM Europearms Extreme MAAR
 * 12,7x99mm Barrett M-82A1
 * 12,7x99mm PGM Hécate II

Combat accessories

 * Aimpoint
 * Trijicon
 * Schmidt & Bender PM-2
 * LAM 100/200 laser pointer
 * red hot EOTech visors
 * AN/PEQ-2 insight system
 * AN/PEQ-4 insight system
 * AN/PEQ-15 insight system
 * Mako MEPRO MOR insight system
 * Insight Mk23 thermal camera