From 30 November to 4 December 2015, exploration and escort helicopters (EES) AW-129 "Mangusta" and NH-90 multirole helicopters of the 5th AVES "Rigel" and 7th AVES "Vega" regiments, together with a platoon explorers of the 66th "Trieste" Aircraft Infantry Regiment, elements of the 121st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment and 41st Objective Surveillance and Acquisition Regiment, conducted an intense continuous exercise called Airmobile Permanent Training (APT).
In the final part of the exercise, the units employed performed an uninterrupted series of day and night operational activities, which saw the establishment of advanced operational bases (Forward Operating Base - FOB) and advanced refueling points (Forward Arming and Refueling Point - FARP), in addition to the conduct of various aeromechanised tactical activities and aircraft, the recovery of pilots (Personnel Recovery) and the execution of Medevac (evacuation of wounded).
The realism of the activity has been guaranteed by numerous and continuous activations that the brigade command has addressed to the operating and support units involved, with the aim of verifying the actual planning and conduct capacity.
Through this innovative training process, conceived, organized and conducted by the same command as the "Friuli" Aeromobile brigade, the validity of the concept of use of aircraft and aeromechanised units can be verified, which, thanks to the close integration and cooperation between flight units, of infantry and support, they have proven to be able to express operational capabilities characterized by high levels of standardization, planning and flexibility.
Through this integrated program, the brigade can immediately express forces prepared in response to needs that may arise both in favor of national operations and interventions in foreign theaters.
