17th Raiders Wing

The 17th Raiders Wing (Italian: 17º Stormo Incursori) is the Italian Air Force special forces unit. It is the youngest special force created in Italy. It is based in Furbara, near Rome and part of the Comando interforze per le Operazioni delle Forze Speciali (COFS—Special Forces Operations Command). Until 8 April 2008 the unit was named Reparto Incursori Aeronautica Militare (RIAM—Air Force Raiders Group) but with the expansion and evolution of the unit's assignments and its size, the name was changed to "17° Stormo Incursori".

17th Raiders Wing
17º Stormo Incursori
Active1 March 2003 – present
TypeSpecial forces
RoleSpecial operations
Part ofComando interforze per le Operazioni delle Forze Speciali (Joint Special Forces Operations Command)
17º Stormo Incursori Operator

Specialisations
  • Combat Search and Rescue (C-SAR)
  • Combat Controller (Forward Air Controller and Joint Terminal Attack Controller)
  • Pathfinder
  • Direct actions against airbases and aeronautical compounds

Organization

Raiders Group

Raiders Group divided into: Command, Operations, Vehicles and Special Equipment, and four squadriglie (wings) of raiders, each of two to four detachments of eight to twelve soldiers. This means that the entire operational force will be (at full strength) from 64 to 192 soldiers.

Training Group

This branch provides training for the operational main force but is also capable of providing training sessions on: Evasion and Escape and EOD/EOR/IEDD to other Italian army and navy units.

Vehicles and equipment

17th Stormo is part of 1st Special Ops Air Brigade which also includes 9th Stormo equipped with modern HH-101A Caesar helicopters.[1] C-130J "Hercules IIs" and C-27J "Spartans" are also available. In the field the operative force is equipped with the VTLM "Lince", quads and jeeps.

This unit has access to a large arsenal of sniper rifles and anti-materiel rifles to be used to knock out aircraft. It also uses mini UAVs such as the "Strix" produced by Galileo Avionica, and L-3 Communication's "ROVER IV".

The 17º Stormo Incursori has a variety of armament and equipment.[2]

Personal weapons

Assault and battle rifles

Sniper rifles

Anti-materiel rifles

Combat accessories
  • Aimpoint
  • Trijicon
  • Schmidt & Bender PM-2
  • LAM 100/200 laser pointer
  • red hot EOTech visors
  • AN/PEQ-2 insight system
  • AN/PEQ-4 insight system
  • AN/PEQ-15 insight system
  • Mako MEPRO MOR insight system
  • Insight Mk23 thermal camera

References
  1. http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/comunicazione/notizie/Pagine/riorganizzazione-1-brigata-aerea-operazioni-speciali.aspx%7C1^ BRIGATA AEREA OPERAZIONI SPECIALI
  2. Ciocchetti, Tiziano (30 May 2019). "La situazione delle forze armate italiane: l'armamento degli incursori dell'aria". Difesa OnLine (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2019.


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