185th Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore"

The 185th Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore" is a regiment of the Italian Army under Folgore Parachute Brigade. Previously, the Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore" was a Special Operations Forces with the role of target acquisition. Since July 1, 2013, the Regiment has assumed the role of an airborne artillery unit at the headquarters of Bracciano, Italy, near Rome.

The 185th Artillery Paratroopers Regiment keeps the War Flag previously kept by the 185th Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition Regiment, which in turn received the War Flag of the 185th Paratrooper Infantry Regiment "Nembo", disbanded in 1940s.

Structure
The Regiment currently consists of five batteries:


 * Regimental Command
 * Command and Logistical Support Battery "Leoni"
 * 1st Paratroopers Artillery Group
 * 1st Battery "Draghi"
 * 2nd Battery "Aquile"
 * 3rd Battery "Diavoli"
 * Support Battery "Levrieri".

History
The Regiment traces its origins back to the 185th Artillery Regiment "Folgore", framed within the "Folgore" Division established in 1941. The artillery regiment fought at the Second Battle of El Alamein and dissolved on December 8, 1942 because of the losses suffered.

On October 1, 1975, the regiment was raised again as the 185th Paratroopers Field Artillery Group "Viterbo". On September 8, 1992, the group was renamed 1st Paratroopers Artillery Group, within the re-established 185th Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore".

In winter 1999-2000, the unit was transformed into a special operations reconnaissance unit, and in 2004 it changed its name to 185th Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment "Folgore" (185th RAO "Folgore"), while maintaining traditions and War Flag of the old 185th Artillery Regiment. In 2013, the 185th regiment was "doubled": the 185th Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore" was reconstituted with men and materiel of the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment "Acqui" in Bracciano (RM) and entered the Folgore Parachute Brigade, while the 185th RAO "Folgore" entered the Italian special operations command COMFOSE.

Deployments
During World War II, the Regiment was deployed in El Alamein, where it fought valiantly alongside its parent formation and the "Pavia" and "Trento" Divisions.

The activity abroad of 185th Regiment, after the World War II, began with the first overseas mission of the Italian Army in 1982: a battery participated in the mission in Lebanon.

In 1991, as part of the Italfor Airone Mission, the Group contributes to the establishment of the Paratroopers Tactical Group sending its personnel to Iraq. The 185th Regiment was the first unit involved in the national operation "Vespri Siciliani", and immediately afterwards was sent into the operational cycles of Somalia, maintaining a mortar battery there. Then it was the turn of former Yugoslavia: the 185th Regiment was present in all the missions that involve the Parachute Brigade in Bosnia and Kosovo.