Difference between revisions of "182nd Paratroopers Brigade Folgore (Kingdom of Italy)"
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| − | | identification_symbol_3_label =Old coat of arms ( | + | | identification_symbol_3_label =Old coat of arms (until 1991) |
| − | | identification_symbol_4 = | + | | identification_symbol_4 =[[File:Basco Parà Antiquo.png]] |
| − | | identification_symbol_4_label = | + | | identification_symbol_4_label =Old beret (until 1967) |
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== Squadrons Group "''Savoia Cavalleria''" (3rd) == | == Squadrons Group "''Savoia Cavalleria''" (3rd) == | ||
| + | [[File:Parà Passamontagna Africa.png|thumbnail|Four masked paratroopers during a security mission in Africa.]] | ||
The Squadrons Group "''Savoia Cavalleria''" (3rd) is the cavalry unit of the Paratroopers Brigade. Maintaining the legacy of the Cavalry Regiment "''Savoia Cavalleria''" (3rd), it ensures, thanks to its mobility characteristics, firepower and protection of forces, the availability of exploration skills (hidden and through combat), objectives acquisition, surveillance and targeted counter-actions. In addition, the Squadrons Group has, like all other Battalions (including the logistic one, which includes within it the unit of forging for the entire Brigade), a platoon of 20 paratroopers "commando", whose task , in the operations avioportate, is to act as a pathfinder unit. | The Squadrons Group "''Savoia Cavalleria''" (3rd) is the cavalry unit of the Paratroopers Brigade. Maintaining the legacy of the Cavalry Regiment "''Savoia Cavalleria''" (3rd), it ensures, thanks to its mobility characteristics, firepower and protection of forces, the availability of exploration skills (hidden and through combat), objectives acquisition, surveillance and targeted counter-actions. In addition, the Squadrons Group has, like all other Battalions (including the logistic one, which includes within it the unit of forging for the entire Brigade), a platoon of 20 paratroopers "commando", whose task , in the operations avioportate, is to act as a pathfinder unit. | ||
Revision as of 12:33, 24 June 2018
| 182nd Paratroopers Brigade Folgore | |
|---|---|
| 182ª Brigata Paracadutisti Folgore | |
 Brigade coat of arms since 1991 | |
| Active | 1973-present |
| Country | Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch | Italian National Royal Army |
| Type | Paratroopers |
| Size | 5,500 ca. |
| Part of | 1st Army Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Livorno |
| Nickname | Baschi Amaranto |
| Patron | Saint Michael the Archangel |
| Motto |
"Folgore!" "Savoye Bonnes Nouvelles!"(only Savoia Cavalleria) |
| Mascot | Eagle Italia |
| Anniversaries | 23 October (Battle of El Alamein) |
| Engagements | African War, Colonial security operations |
| Decorations |
   |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brig. Gen. Marco Constantini |
| Insignia | |
| Beret |
 |
| Collar flashes |
  |
| Old coat of arms (until 1991) |
 |
| Old beret (until 1967) |
 |
The 182nd Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" (Italian: 182ª Brigata Paracadutisti "Folgore") is the oldest and principal paratroopers brigade of the Italian National Royal Army. It was established as the Folgore Division in 1930s, and in 1970s it was downsized in order to generate the other Paratroopers Brigades and to fulfil at its best its special tasks. The popular imaginary holds near to the hearth the Folgore's res gestae, and the Folgore fame has passed also to the other paratroopers formations.
Contents
History
After the African War, the Paratroopers Division Folgore was kept as backbone of the quick intervention forces for the fledging Italian colonial empire. The Folgore Division saw action in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, but also sent detachments in Indocina as part of the anticommunist bloc.
On 1 January 1973 the National Republican Army formally disestablished the Paratroopers Division Folgore and re-established a new airborne brigade in the city of Pisa in order to generate the other Paratroopers Brigades and ensure a greater intervention capability. The brigade was named I Paratroopers Brigade and fielded the 1st Paratroopers Regiment with the II and V Paratroopers battalions, a Paratroopers Special Forces Battalion, a G.N.R. Paratroopers Company, which was augmented to battalion on 15 July 1963 and a Paratroopers Field Artillery Battery, which was augmented to group on 1 June 1963 and armed with Mod56 105mm howitzers. On 1 April 1964 the brigade lost the Military Parachute School in Pisa to the army's Infantry Inspectorate. On 10 June 1967 the I Paratroopers Brigade was allowed to add Folgore to its name and was now named Folgore Paratroopers Brigade, keeping the full legacy of the 182nd Paratroopers Division Folgore.
In 1985 the Italian Army abolished the regimental level and re-organised its brigades. Therefore, the Folgore brigade's 1st Paratroopers Regiment disbanded on 1 October 1985 and its two battalions became the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion Tarquinia and the 5th Paratroopers Battalion El Alamein.
On 1 January 1986, the Folgore Brigade and the Friuli Motorized Brigade, in conjunction with some units of the Army's Light Army Aviation and the Navy's San Marco Regiment, became the Rapid Intervention Forces of the Italian Military, deployable on short notice for out of area missions.
Mission
The 182nd Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" is a mobile infantry brigades. Its primary mission is to deploy rapidly to conduct highly sensitive combat operations; in particular, Paratrooper Brigades are tasked to seize and hold vital objectives behind the enemy lines, until linking with support forces and, as an highly mobility unit, to exploit effects of non-conventional weapons.
The Paratroopers Brigade is highly valuable because they can operate both within a joint task force and independently. They are able to conduct offensive, defensive and delay operations, as well as large scale raids, especially against light infantry/insurgents. The light-infantry specialization is also combined with the rear battle operations capability. Being a light force, a Paratrooper Brigade is able to conduct operations in rough terrain against mechanized or armoured forces, while open terrains are unfavourable to the Paratroopers; the famed battle of El Alamein is highly regarded by military historians precisely because the exceptional conditions.
Alongside with primary missions, Paratroopers also act in order to carry out rescue operations (when special operations forces are deemed to be unnecessary) and to reinforce forward-deployed forces (mostly special forces), to serve as a strategic reserve and to conduct massive raids.
Structure
The full operational capability of a Paratrooper Brigade depends upon the availability of proper air transport assets for strategic deployment and upon higher commands for supplemental transportation. The Brigade has eight Battalions:
- 181st Paratrooper Saboteurs Battalion "Folgore"
- 186th Paratroopers Regiment (1 Command and Communications Company and 4 Battalions)
- 182nd Paratrooper Infantry Battalion "Folgore"
- 183rd Paratrooper Infantry Battalion "Eulet El Asel";
- 186th Paratrooper Infantry Battalion "El Alamein";
- 187th Paratrooper Infantry Battalion "Tarquinia": it descends from the II Battalion "Tarquinia".
- 185th Paratrooper Artillery Group "Folgore";
- Paratrooper Cavalry Squadrons Group "Savoia Cavalleria" (3°)
- Manoeuvre Regiment
- Command Company
- Paratrooper Medical Battalion
- Paratrooper Combat Maintenance Battalion
- Paratrooper Supplies Battalion
- Brigade Command and Tactical Support Battalion "Folgore"
186th Paratrooper Infantry Battalion "El Alamein"
Among the Paratrooper Infantry Battalions, the 186th Paratrooper Infantry Battalion has a very special status: as for other Battalions, it descends from the same-number Regiment, which fought in El Alamein. Since then it has been the most renown conventional unit of the R.E.N.I.
Organization
It consists of a Command Company, an Heavy Mortar Company and three Companies: XIII Compagnia Paracadutisti Condor, XIV Compagnia Paracadutisti Pantere Indomite (the XIV Company is deemed the best of the Army's conventional forces), and XV Compagnia Paracadutisti Diavoli Neri.
Squadrons Group "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd)
The Squadrons Group "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd) is the cavalry unit of the Paratroopers Brigade. Maintaining the legacy of the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd), it ensures, thanks to its mobility characteristics, firepower and protection of forces, the availability of exploration skills (hidden and through combat), objectives acquisition, surveillance and targeted counter-actions. In addition, the Squadrons Group has, like all other Battalions (including the logistic one, which includes within it the unit of forging for the entire Brigade), a platoon of 20 paratroopers "commando", whose task , in the operations avioportate, is to act as a pathfinder unit.
The Squadrons Group's ability is to carry out all the typical missions of the cavalry - hidden exploration and through combat actions, device safety and protection of forces - in favor of the Paratroopers Brigade, both as a result of airborne operations and in land use with armored-armored vehicles. The Squadrons Group is asked to perform all the tactical activities already contemplated in the tasks assigned to a Squadrons Group of Line Cavalry, with priority for the Terrestrial Tactical Exploration activity, but in favor of the Paratroopers Brigade, in any scenario of employment and , in particular, in the context of air operations. Reconnaissance can be conducted in two forms, hidden (by stealth) and by combat actions (by fire). The Squadrons Group is able to intervene quickly from the third dimension by already having armored vehicles that ensure good mobility, firepower and protection of forces.
Organization
The organization is the same as for all the Armored Light Cavalry Squadrons Groups:
- A Command and Logistic Support SquadronM
- A Reconnaissance Squadron, a pool of forces that can be used in the "advanced stage" for the conduct of hidden exploration and also aimed at guaranteeing the functions of pathfinder. It can have air-balancing vehicles, with characteristics of high off-road mobility, high power and speed, reduced thermal, acoustic and seismic signatures. The Squadron has qualified TACP-FAC personnel, Laser Operators and a group of selected shooters, as well as a large number of paratroopers abilitated to HALO-HAHO;
- two Line Squadrons (dedicated to light exploration tasks), mainly - but not exclusively - oriented to operate within the "Assault Scaglione" to be used in area exploration and surveillance activities, ie in activities in urbanized areas. The Line Squadrons are equipped with RSTA VTLM vehicles and enduro motorcycles, but also have terrestrial and aerial sensors, in order to be able to be effectively integrated into the ISTAR-EW system in the area of operations. Also here, as in the previous component, the presence of qualified TACP-FAC personnel, Laser Operator and of selected shooters, as well as personnel with peculiar specializations of an ancillary nature necessary for the execution of the mission is contemplated;
- A Heavy Squadron, to arrange, in reserve or not, additional sources of fire for the needs of exploration through combat actions, as to allow the Brigade Commander to adequately reinforce devices deployed on the ground, or to have a ' suitable pawn for the opponent's contact / braking, for the control of large areas and for safety tasks.
