At the Capo Teulada shooting range in Sardinia, with the presence of the Italian Army Chief of Staff, General Pietro Serino, in the past day took place the exercise “CAEX 1 – 2021” (Complex Aviation Exercise) organized by the Italian Army Aviation Command and conducted jointly between the flight units and ground units of the Italian Army. The Italian Army Aviation (AVES – Aviazione dell’Esercito) and other units engaged for two weeks in training between Lazio and Sardinia.
The CAEX is the main exercise of the Italian Army Aviation which is carried out twice a year in order to standardize the training of all its units in terms of standardization and flight safety. The activity also provides the participation of various Italian Army assets, within the framework of interoperability and specialization that characterizes the use of the Armed Force. The training event is also an opportunity to validate the units to be released soon in foreign operating theaters.
Under the direction of the Italian Army Aviation Commander, General Paolo Riccò, the training was developed continuously for two weeks. The supposed scenario has recreated operational situations that are as real as possible. On the ground, in fact, different types of Opposing Forces (opposing enemy forces) have been deployed in order to evaluate the ability to react to them and to the different activations, to adapt the military instrument in response to the continuous evolution of the threat.
During the first week the various units were involved in an intense joint training, preparatory to the “CAEX”. The second week saw the forces involved in the planning and execution phases of the exercise at the Capo Teulada shooting range. Here, the Task Force commanded by Colonel Giovanni Quartuccio, Commander of the 1st Italian Army Aviation Regiment “Antares” conducted a counterattack operation, carried out according to the Air Assault procedures.
The “Multiweapon Tactical Complex” carried out, in total integration, a set of activities including the airmobile raid, tactical helicopter transport, insertion and extraction of personnel, medical evacuation, recovery of isolated personnel and close air support.
Together with the Italin Army Aviation, took part in the “CAEX 1-2021” also the personnel and vehicles from: 1st Regiment “Grenadiers of Sardinia”, 3rd Regiment Bersaglieri, 5th Infantry Regiment “Aosta”, 5th Regiment Engineers “Guastatori”, 7th and 11th Transmission Regiment, 66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment “Trieste”, 151st and 152nd Infantry Regiment “Sassari”, 185th Parachute Regiment “Folgore”, Veterinary Military Center and doctors of the Military Corps of the Red Cross.
The Italian Army Chief of Staff, during the visit, expressed words of satisfaction for the conduct of the “CAEX” and for the commitment made by all the military personnel, underlining the importance of the synergy between all the components of the Italian Armed Forces and the joint training which must increasingly tend towards specialization, in view of the commitment that the Italian Army ensures on a daily basis to protect national and international security.
Photo credits: Italian Army Aviation Command