The “Monte Romano 1-25” exercise, which saw over 400 Italian Army soldiers from the “Taurinense” Alpine Brigade and specialist regiments of the Armed Forces take to the field, engaged in a series of training activities carried out in a simulated combat scenario at the Monte Romano shooting range, concluded successfully.
The exercise, planned and directed by the 2nd Alpine Regiment, commanded by Colonel Davide Marini, took place over a period of four weeks, with the aim of testing and increasing operational capabilities in the conduct of offensive, defensive and enabling actions. "Monte Romano 1-25" was characterized by the multi-weapon integration between the Alpine infantry and the cavalry, engineering, Army aviation and logistics units, as well as by the integration between technological innovation, soldiers on the ground and traditional combat techniques, implemented through modern weapon and observation systems. In particular, the first phase took place with opposing sides, at the tactical training center of the 80th "Roma" regiment, using the Integrated System for Terrestrial Training (SIAT), with which a laser signal replicates the trajectory of the projectiles, simulating their effects on the target hit. The training included technical and tactical activities, aimed at achieving pre-established objectives of increasing difficulty.
In the central phase, several day and night firing ranges were carried out, with the use of portable weapons, department weapons, 120, 81 and 60 mm heavy mortars, explosive devices of the engineers and armoured cars. Centaur, equipped with 105 mm guns. The 2nd Alpine Regiment's sniper team tested the "Victrix" precision rifles, while simultaneously experimenting with a new type of thermal chamber, useful for locating enemy anti-aircraft defenses, in order to use indirect fire to suppress them. The light and heavy scouting assets of the Nice Cavalry (1°) have carried out reconnaissance operations/screening methods, even with remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) of the type Raven, followed by the neutralization of the detected targets, while the sappers of the 32nd Engineers - through the removal of passive obstacles that inhibited the movement of the troops - allowed the opening of gaps through explosive charges.
The Army Aviation contributed to the success of the exercise with the sorties of the CH-47 helicopters of the 1st “Antares” regiment, which made it possible to carry out rapid redeployments of curved fire weapon systems (heavy mortars) and personnel, ensuring greater fluidity and speed of combat action.
Frontline Logistics – by the Logistics Regiment Taurinense - ensured, thanks to armored tactical trucks, 8x8 skip loader complexes and tanks, the supplies necessary to allow the units to live, move and fight. From a technological point of view, specialists of the 11th transmission regiment implemented the integration of the digital command and control system "Imperio", particularly effective in a context of distribution and dispersion of forces in the field. In terms of innovation, modern systems were also deployed Strix of the 41st regiment "Cordenons", for information research and observation of the battlefield.
The commander of the Alpine brigade was present on the final day of the exercise Taurinense, General David Colussi, who observed the progress of the activities on the field, which confirmed the versatility of the Army's Alpine troops, suitable for operating in environments other than the mountainous one and to be promptly employed in response to emergency situations in different operational theaters diversified by connotation and intensity. The "Monte Romano 1 - 25", which began in the second half of February with the deployment of the "Taurinense" units in Monteromano, constituted an important test of the ability to project and deploy the units far from their permanent headquarters, carried out through the multi-modal transport of tactical vehicles and materials by rail, and the use of air carriers for the introduction of personnel.
