5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel"

The 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel" (5° Reggimento Aviazione dell'Esercito "Rigel") is an active unit of the Italian Army based at Casarsa Airport in Friuli Venezia Giulia. The regiment is part of the Italian army's army aviation and operationally assigned to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".

Formation
During the 1975 Army reform the army reorganized its aviation units and for the first time created aviation units above battalion level. On 1 January 1976 the 5th Army Light Aviation Grouping "Rigel" was raised at Casarsa Airport to take command of the aviation units of the 5th Army Corps. After its activation the grouping merged the aviation units it controlled into two battalion-sized squadron groups. By 1 June 1976 the grouping was structured as follows:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt aves 5.png 5th Army Light Aviation Grouping "Rigel", at Casarsa Airport
 * 25th Light Airplanes and Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cigno", at Vittorio Veneto Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 251st Light Airplanes Squadron (SM.1019A planes)
 * 425th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 55th Multirole Helicopters Squadrons Group "Dragone", at Casarsa Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 551st Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 552nd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 553rd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 554th Multirole Helicopters Squadron (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 5th Army Light Aviation Grouping was named for Rigel the brightest star in the Orion constellation. When the army raised army aviation support regiments in 1996 they were named in relation to the regiment they supported, and therefore the 5th Rigel's support regiment was named 2nd Army Aviation Support Regiment "Orione".

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 two Silver Medals of Army Valour, one for the regiment's service after the 1976 Friuli earthquake, ane one for the regiment's service and sacrifice during the yearly stages of the Yugoslav Wars, when two helicopters of the regiment, detached to the European Community Monitor Mission, were attacked and one shot down near Podrute in Croatia by the Yugoslav Air Force, resulting in the death of four members of the regiment. The war flag is also decorated with a Silver Medal of Civil Valour for the regiment's mountain rescue service in the Julian Alps, and one Bronze Medal of Army Valour awarded to the then autonomous 49th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno" for its services after the 1976 Friuli earthquake.

Events
On 30 November 1985 the 25th Light Airplanes and Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cigno" was disbanded at Vittorio Veneto Airport and its name transferred to the 48th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone" of the Mechanized Division "Mantova", which was based at Campoformido Airport. The next day the 25th "Cigno" was renamed 25th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cigno" and the 49th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno" of the Armored Division "Ariete" joined the Rigel grouping. 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 5.png 5th Army Light Aviation Regiment "Rigel", at Casarsa Airport
 * 25th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Cigno", at Campoformido Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 481st Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 482nd Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 49th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno", at Casarsa Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 491st Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 492nd Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (AB 206 helicopters)
 * 55th Multirole Helicopters Squadrons Group "Dragone", at Casarsa Airport
 * Command and Services Squadron
 * 551st Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 552nd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 553rd Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)
 * 554th Multirole Helicopters Squadron (AB 204B/205 helicopters)

On 7 January 1992 two helicopters of the regiment are attacked and one shot down by two Yugoslav Air Force MiG-21 fighter jets near Podrute in Croatia, resulting in the death of four members of the regiment and one French officer.

In 1992 the regiment began the transition from AB 206 to A129D Mangusta helicopters. On 5 July 1996 the regiment left Casarsa Airport and moved its headquarters to Campoformido Airport. On the same day the 49th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno" was used to raise the 7th Attack Helicopters Regiment "Vega" at Casarsa Airport and the 55th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Dragone" was ceded by the regiment to the Northwestern Military Region. On 1 October 1997 the regiment left the V Army Corps and joined the Army Aviation Inspectorate. On 1 September 1998 the regiment and the 25th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cigno", 48th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone" (ceded by the 7th Attack Helicopters Regiment "Vega"), and 53rd Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cassiopea" (ceded by the 3rd Army Aviation Regiment "Aldebaran") moved to the former Italian Air Force Miramare Air Base near Rimini. On 23 October of the same year the 5th Rigel and 7th Vega swapped flags and name. On 5 May 2000 the Rigel entered the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". In 2008 the regiment began the transition from AB 204B/205 to NH90 helicopters.

Current Structure


As of 2019 the 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel" consists of:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt aves 5.png 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel", at Casarsa Airport
 * Headquarters Unit
 * 27th Squadrons Group "Mercurio"
 * 271st Combat Support Helicopters Squadron
 * 272nd Combat Support Helicopters Squadron
 * 49th Squadrons Group "Capricorno"
 * 491st Attack Helicopters Squadron
 * 492nd Attack Helicopters Squadron
 * 493rd Attack Helicopters Squadron
 * Support Squadrons Group "Lupo"
 * Logistic Support Squadron
 * Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

Equipment
The 27th Squadrons Group "Mercurio" is equipped with NH90 transport helicopters and the 49th Squadrons Group "Capricorno" with A129D Mangusta attack helicopters.