4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair"

The 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair" (4° Reggimento Aviazione dell'Esercito "Altair") is an active unit of the Italian Army based at Bolzano Airport in South Tyrol. The regiment is part of the Italian army's army aviation and operationally assigned to the Army Aviation Brigade.

Formation
During the 1975 Army reform the army reorganized its aviation units and for the first time created aviation units above battalion level. On 20 January 1976 the 4th Army Light Aviation Grouping "Altair" was raised at Bolzano Airport to take command of the eight aviation units of the 4th Alpine Army Corps. After its activation the grouping merged the eight aviation units it controlled into three battalion-sized squadron groups. By 1 June 1976 the grouping was structured as follows:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt aves 4.png 4th Army Light Aviation Grouping "Altair", at Bolzano Airport
 * 24th Light Airplanes and Helicopters Squadrons Group "Orione", at Bolzano Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 241st Light Airplanes Squadron (SM.1019A planes)
 * 440th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 44th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Fenice", at Belluno Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 441st Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 442nd Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron, detached to Venaria Reale Airport (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 54th Multirole Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cefeo", at Bolzano Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 541st Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 542nd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 543rd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 544th Multirole Helicopters Squadron, detached to Belluno Airport (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 545th Multirole Helicopters Squadron, detached to Aosta-Pollein Heliport (AB 204B/205 helicopters)

Naming
Since the 1975 army reform Italian army aviation units are named for celestial objects: groupings, and later regiments, are numbered with a single digit and named for stars in the 88 modern constellationss. Accordingly an army aviation regiment's coat of arms highlights the name-giving star within its constellation. Squadron groups were numbered with two digits and named for constellations, or planets of the Solar System. The 4th Army Light Aviation Grouping was named for Altair the brightest star in the Aquila constellation. When the army raised army aviation support regiments in 1996 they were named in relation to the regiment they supported, and therefore the 4th Altair's support regiment was named 3rd Army Aviation Support Regiment "Aquila".

With the decree 173 from 14 March 1977 the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone granted the grouping a newly created war flag, which has since been awarded five Silver Medals of Civil Valour, one Silver Cross of Army Merit, and one Bronze Medal of Red Cross Merit.

Events
On 1 September 1985 the grouping raised the 34th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Toro" at Venaria Reale Airport. The new group took command of the 442nd Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron and 545th Multirole Helicopters Squadron. On the same date the 544th Multirole Helicopters Squadron passed from the 54th Multirole Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cefeo" to the 44th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Fenice". On 1 October 1989 the 241st Light Airplanes Squadron was disbanded and the 440th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron transferred from the 24th Light Airplanes and Helicopters Squadrons Group "Orione" to the 54th "Cefeo". On the same date the 24th Light Airplanes and Helicopters Squadrons Group "Orione" was reorganized as 24th Command and Support Group. On 1 September 1991 the 545th Multirole Helicopters Squadron moved from Pollein Heliport to Venaria Reale Airport. On 6 October 1991 the grouping was renamed regiment without changing size or composition and its structure was now as follows:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt aves 4.png 4th Army Light Aviation Regiment "Altair", at Bolzano Airport
 * 24th Command and Support Group
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 34th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Toro", at Venaria Reale Airport
 * 442nd Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 545th Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 44th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Fenice", at Belluno Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 441st Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 544th Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 54th Multirole Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cefeo", at Bolzano Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 440th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 541st Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 542nd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 543rd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)

On 31 December 1993 the 24th Command and Support Group was disbanded. On 5 July 1996 the 44th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Fenice" changed its name to 48th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone" and was ceded by the 4th Altair to the newly raised 7th Attack Helicopters Regiment "Vega". In 2001 the regiment entered the Air Cavalry Grouping, which on 1 March 2006 became the Army Aviation Brigade.

Current Structure


As of 2019 the 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair" consists of:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt aves 4.png 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair", at Bolzano Airport
 * Headquarters Unit, at Bolzano Airport
 * 34th Squadrons Group "Toro", at Venaria Reale Airport
 * Command and Logistic Support Squadron
 * 545th Combat Support Helicopters Squadron
 * Maintenance Squadron
 * 54th Squadrons Group "Cefeo", at Bolzano Airport
 * Command and Logistic Support Squadron
 * 440th Combat Support Helicopters Squadron
 * 541st Combat Support Helicopters Squadron
 * Maintenance Squadron

Equipment
The regiment is equipped with AB 205A helicopters, which the army intends to replace with AW 169M helicopters from 2020.