7th Army Aviation Regiment "Vega"

On 5 July 1996 the 7th Attack Helicopters Regiment "Vega" was raised at Casarsa Airport with personnel ceded by the 5th Army Light Aviation Regiment "Rigel" and placed under command of the Army Aviation Inspectorate. After its activation the regiment received the 48th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone" from the 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair" and the 49th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno" from the 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel". On 5 July 1996 the regiment was structured as follows:[4][3]

• 7th Attack Helicopters Regiment "Vega", at Casarsa Airport[5]
  • 48th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone", at Belluno Airport
    • Command and Services Squadron
    • 481st Attack Helicopters Squadron (A129D Mangusta attack helicopters)
    • 482nd Attack Helicopters Squadron (A129D Mangusta attack helicopters)
  • 49th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno", at Casarsa Airport
    • Command and Services Squadron
    • 491st Attack Helicopters Squadron (A129D Mangusta attack helicopters)
    • 492nd Attack Helicopters Squadron (A129D Mangusta attack helicopters)

Since the 1975 Army reform Italian army aviation units are named for celestial objects:[6] regiments are numbered with a single digit and named for stars in the 88 modern constellationss.[6] Accordingly, an army aviation regiment's coat of arms highlights the name-giving star within its constellation. Squadron groups were numbered with two digits and named for constellations, or planets of the Solar System.[6] The 7th Army Aviation Regiment was named for Vega the brightest star in the Lyra constellation.

On 15 July 1996 the President of the Italian Republic Oscar Luigi Scalfaro granted the regiment a newly created war flag,[7] which has since been awarded Military Order of Italy for the regiment's participation in international missions in Albania, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and one Bronze Medal of Army Valour awarded to the then autonomous 48th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone" for its service after the 1976 Friuli earthquake.[1]

On 1 September 1998 the 7th Vega ceded the 48th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone" to the 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel", which moved on the same date to the former Italian Air Force Miramare Air Base near Rimini. On 23 October of the same year the 7th Vega was renamed 7th Army Aviation Regiment "Vega" and on the same date swapped name and flags with the 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel". Based now at Miramare Air Base the 7th Vega consisted of the 25th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cigno", 48th Attack Helicopters Squadrons Group "Pavone", and 53rd Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Cassiopea". On 1 January 1999 the regiment entered the Mechanized Brigade "Friuli", which was in the process of reforming as the army's airmobile brigade. On 5 May 2000 the 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel" joined the Mechanized Brigade "Friuli", which in that date changed its name to Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". In 2008 the Vega began the transition from AB 204B/205 to NH90 helicopters. On 31 December 2015 the 53rd Squadrons Group "Cassiopea" is disbanded.[4][3]