Italian Naval Aviation

The Italian Naval Aviation (Italian: Aviazione Navale) is the naval air component of the Italian Navy composed of around 2000 men and women and 69 aircraft and helicopters.

Italian Naval Aviation
Aviazione Navale
Active	1913-1937 1956-Present
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Navy
Type	Naval aviation
Size	2,000 personnel (2015)[1]
Part of	Commander in Chief Naval Fleet
Commanders
Current commander	Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina
Insignia
Roundel

EH-101-410 Merlin

A Marina Militare AV-8B Harrier II aboard Cavour

History

It is more commonly known as Naval Aviation as it received various official designations throughout its service and its origins date back to 1913, when it was created as the air branch of the Navy.^[2] The service was then disbanded and integrated into the Italian Air Force, upon the creation of this new branch in 1937, when a law gave control of all national fixed-wing air assets to the Italian Air Force.

Having been reactivated in 1956 to operate the Navy's new shipborne helicopters entering service with the Italian frigates.^[3] The ban on fixed-wing aircraft was lifted in 1989, and the Italian Navy acquired Harrier II fighters to fly from the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.

In 2009, the Giuseppe Garibaldi was replaced as the flagship of the Italian navy by the new and larger aircraft carrier Cavour.

Organisation

The units of the Italian Naval Aviation are based at three civil airports. A small detachment is based at the Italian Air Force's the Pratica di Mare Air Base.^[4][5]

• Air Forces Command (Comando delle Forze Aeree - COMFORAER), in Rome
  • Aerial Section (Sezione Aerea - SEZAER), at Pratica di Mare Air Base with 3x P.180 Maritime liaison planes
  • Naval Aircraft Station (Stazione Aeromobili della Marina Militare - MARISTAER), at Taranto-Grottaglie Airport
    • Carrier Air Group (Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati - GRUPAER)
      • Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with AV-8B+ Harrier II fighters (being replaced by F-35B Lightning II)
      • Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
      • Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
    • 4th Helicopter Group (Quarto Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT QUATTRO)
      • Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with SH-90A ASuW/ASW helicopters and Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles
      • Training Unit (Reparto Addestramento) with SH-90A ASuW/ASW helicopters
      • Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
      • Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
  • Naval Helicopter Station Luni (Stazione Elicotteri della Marina Militare Luni - MARISTAELI Luni), at Sarzana-Luni Airport
    • 1st Helicopter Group (Primo Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT UNO)^[6]
      • Helicopter Assault Unit (Reparto Eliassalto) with MH-101A transport helicopters supporting COMSUBIN
      • ASuW/ASW/EW Unit (Reparto AWW/ASW/EW) with EH-101A HEW helicopters
      • Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
      • Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
    • 5th Helicopter Group (Quinto Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT CINQUE)
      • Helicopter Assault Unit (Reparto Eliassalto) with MH-90A tactical transport helicopters supporting COMSUBIN
      • ASuW/ASW Unit (Reparto AWW/ASW) with SH-90A ASuW/ASW helicopters
      • Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
      • Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
  • Naval Helicopter Station Catania (Stazione Elicotteri della Marina Militare Catania - MARISTAELI Catania), at Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
    • 2nd Helicopter Group (Secondo Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT DUE)
      • Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with SH-90A ASuW/ASW helicopters
      • Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
      • Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)
    • 3rd Helicopter Group (Terzo Gruppo Elicotteri - GRUPELICOT TRE)^[7]
      • Operations Unit (Reparto Operazioni) with SH-101A ASuW/ASW helicopters
      • Training Unit (Reparto Addestramento) with SH-101A ASuW/ASW helicopters
      • Operational Support Unit (Reparto Supporto Operativo)
      • Operational Informations Unit (Reparto Informazioni Operative)

Aircraft

The Italian Navy's first F-35B Lightning en route to NAS Patuxent River

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat aircraft
AV-8B Harrier II	United States	ground attack	AV-8B+	14	being replaced by F-35B
F-35 Lightning II	United States	Multirole	F-35B	8[8]	20 ordered in total
Liaison
Piaggio P.180	Italy	Liaison	P.180 Maritime	3
Helicopter
Agusta-Bell 212	Italy	ASuW/ASW Transport	SH-212A MH-212B	33	being replaced by NH90
NH90	EU	ASuW/ASW Transport	SH-90A MH-90A	38	46 ordered in total 10 ordered in total
AW101	Italy	ASuW/ASW Transport HEW	SH-101A MH-101A EH-101A	8 10 4[9]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Camcopter S-100	Austria	surveillance		2[10][11]
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle	United States	surveillance		10[12]