Italian Naval Aviation
Aviazione Navale
Naval Ensign of Italy
Active1913-1937
1956-Present
CountryItaly
BranchItalian Navy
TypeNaval aviation
Size2,000 personnel (2015)[1]
Part ofCommander in Chief Naval Fleet
Commanders
Current
commander		Rear Admiral Placido Torresi
Insignia
Roundel
EH-101-410 Merlin
A Marina Militare AV-8B Harrier II aboard Cavour

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.

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]

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 6 15 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[8]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Camcopter S-100 Austria surveillance 2[9][10]
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle United States surveillance 10[11]

References

  1. ^ "The Present Aviation - Marina Militare". Marina.difesa.it. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  2. ^ "The Naval Aviation - History - Marina Militare". Marina.difesa.it. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  3. ^ "Post War Naval Aviation - Marina Militare". Marina.difesa.it. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  4. ^ "The Present Aviation". Marina Militare. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Comando delle Forze Aeree". Marina Militare. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Primo Gruppo Elicotteri della Marina Militare". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Terzo Gruppo Elicotteri della Marina Militare". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  8. ^ "EH - 101". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  9. ^ "The Aviationist » The Italian Navy is testing a tiny Camcopter drone from its amphibious warfare ship". The Aviationist. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  10. ^ "Messaggio Forum". Regiamarinaitaliana.forumgratis.org. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Insitu: contract with the Italian Navy for ScanEagle UAS aircraft delivery". Avionews.it. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

Bibliography

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