The “Mangusta” exercise is a fundamental training activity, on the national territory, for the “Folgore” parachute brigade.
It aims to train the large combat unit in the planning, preparation and conduct of airborne operations and military tactical activities (offensive, defensive, enabling), in a context characterized by hybrid conflict (regular, irregular, cyber) and in a semi-permissive / hostile environment, as part of a campaign aimed at taking, holding and enlarging an airborne head (Initial Entry Force) on the premise of the reunification with the "Follow-on forces".
The training focus, this year, has been extended to activities aimed at verifying employment procedures, with a view to increasing interforce integration and the level of interoperability with allied forces.
Modern operational scenarios increasingly characterized by uncertainty and volatility, impose the need to constantly prepare personnel to maintain and improve individual and collective standards, increase the operational capabilities of High Readiness Force, by developing complex operations, and synchronizing the projection and application of the combat power in time and space, integrating the entire spectrum of the aerotactic support and expressing the Mission Command down to the minimum levels.
The paratrooper units are specialized units prepared for the conquest and holding of vital targets through the projection of the combat power and support through the third dimension. The ability to carry out specific tasks, ranging from the preventive occupation of advanced positions and bases (essential for enabling subsequent land and air operations) to the conduct of tactical-level raids, is a direct function of the combination of strategic mobility - level of readiness, factors that constitute the main parameters for measuring the effectiveness of the use of airborne units.
In this year's activity, developed in November in various areas of Tuscany and Friuli Venezia Giulia, all the units of the "Folgore" paratrooper brigade were integrated into a multi-weapon device with: tactical information brigade, that supported the activities with battlefield surveillance, electronic warfare and human-based intelligence-finding capabilities; US assets of the 173rd airborne division, One landing zone control team of the scouting platoon of the 11 ^ air mobile brigade Dutch; a team multisensor of the 41st IMINT "Cordenons" regiment; aircraft of the 46 ^ aerobrigata of Pisa employed for the insertion of personnel through air launch and for air supplies; 3 NH90 helicopters and 2 A129 Mangusta helicopters from "Friuli" aircraft brigade.
