The "Alpine Star" exercise, which saw the Alpine soldiers of the "Julia" brigade in joint training with ground and air assets of the US Army, ended in the area between Val Pusteria and Cadore in recent days. , aimed at increasing interoperability between armies of different nationalities and establishing a common approach to combat in a mountain environment.
The activity, which took place in full compliance with the containment regulations from Covid-19, was attended by various departments, including the 7th Alpine regiment, which provided the largest number of personnel, forces of the 6th and 8th Alpine , of the 4th “Ranger” alpine parachute regiment, of the 3rd mountain artillery, of the 2nd sapper genius, logistically and operationally supported by the “Julia” logistic regiment and by the 4th aviation regiment of the “Altair” Army. The US Army fielded a large number of soldiers, from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, supported by the 12th Airborne Brigade and two recovery air squadrons.
The exercise, planned and coordinated by the Army Alpine Troop Command, lasted a total of two weeks, during which the departments trained in a complex environment, both for the presence of inhabited centers and for the morphology of the land, mainly mountainous. In the first "amalgamation" phase, combat activities were conducted in built-up areas, through the use of latest generation "WTS - Wall Training System" inflatable compounds, joint patrols between the two nations, overcoming vertical obstacles, by means of the setting up of a climbing wall, and first aid activities with relative exfiltration of the wounded, through the use of American “Blackhawk” helicopters. There are also numerous activities to support the maneuver, including the forcing of obstacles through the use of exercise explosives, the acquisition of static and dynamic targets and the support with indirect fire, through the use of weapon systems. of artillery.
Subsequently, after this first phase of acclimatization, the units planned and conducted a continuous final exercise, which involved the various assets for a total period of 36 hours. The units, once infiltrated in the area of operation, carried out a patrol of several kilometers, during which the departments were tested in the various scenarios and activities tested in the amalgam phase.
The activity ended with the conquest of a compound consisting of several houses, inside which it was simulated there were several hostile elements. At the end of the activity, the commanders of the various units exercised met to conduct a debriefing of the activities carried out, a fundamental activity in order to outline any improvements or measures for future activities.
In an increasingly complex operational context, it is extremely rewarding for the armies of the various countries to carry out joint training in order to promote interoperability between the troops employed. For Alpine troops, this concept takes on an even greater value since, in the context of combat activities in the mountain environment "MW - Mountain Warfare", given its complexity, it is essential to train and standardize the various procedures, in order to increase cohesion. , understanding and synergy between the various protagonists.
