1st Army Aviation Support Regiment "Idra"

The 1st Army Aviation Support Regiment "Idra" (1° Reggimento Sostegno Aviazione dell'Esercito "Idra") is an active unit of the Italian Army based at the "Oscar Savini" Airfield near Bracciano in Lazio. The regiment is part of the Italian army's army aviation and operationally assigned to the Army Aviation Support Command. The regiment provides 2nd-line maintenance, upgrade and test services for the A109 and AB206 helicopters, which are in service with the Army Aviation Training Center at Viterbo Airport, and for the AB 212 and AB 412, which are in service the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" and 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment "Aldebaran".

History
The regiment was formed on 1 September 1996 by elevating the existing 1st Army Aviation Repairs Unit to regiment without changing the unit's size or composition. The unit traces its roots back to the Army Light Aircraft Repairs Unit, which was founded in 1953 and renamed 1st Light Army Aviation Repairs Unit on 1 July 1958. The unit was granted a war flag by the President of the Italian Republic on 12 December 1989 and on 2 June 1993 it dropped "Light" from its name. Since 2012 the regiment is part of the Army Aviation Support Command.

Naming
Since the 1975 army reform Italian army aviation units are named for celestial objects: support regiments are numbered with a single digit and named for one of the 88 modern constellationss. The 1st Army Aviation Support Regiment was named for Hydra the largest of the 88 modern constellations. As the regiment was founded in the city of Bracciano the regiment's coats of arms fourth quarter depicts Bracciano's coat of arms.

Current Structure
As of 2019 the 1st Army Aviation Support Regiment "Idra" consists of:


 * CoA mil ITA rgt sost aves 1.png 1st Army Aviation Support Regiment "Idra", at "Oscar Savini" Airfield
 * Headquarters Unit
 * Command and Logistic Support Squadron
 * Maintenance Unit
 * 1st Repair Squadron
 * 2nd Repair Squadron
 * 3rd Repair Squadron
 * Technical and Test Section
 * Air-materiel Supply Section
 * External Work Section
 * Flight Squadron (AB206 helicopters)