personnel from the 5° Reggimento AvEs
‘Rigel’, 7° Reggimento AvEs ‘Vega’ at
Rimini-Miramare, and the 3° Reggimento di
Sostegno ‘Aquila’ at Bergamo.
Other activities performed by the CFE focus
on personnel newly assigned to the 5°
Reggimento AvEs, and preparations for
AH-129C/D operations in Afghanistan on
behalf of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF). The Mangusta was
deployed to Herat in Afghanistan in 2007,
operating as part of Task Force ‘Fenice’,
assigned to Regional Command West. In June
2014 these helicopters passed the milestone
of 10,000 fl ying hours in theater.
Recently, the Casarsa base has seen the
installation of an Observation, Targeting and
Spike Weapon System (OTSWS) simulator,composed of a cabin that faithfully
reproduces the gunner’s position. It offers
two scenarios: one a ‘Middle Eastern’
theater, the other a typical European
environment. The place of the pilot,
however, is taken by a technician, who
utilizes fi ve PCs to manage the mission. A
variety of operational scenarios can be
replicated, including night missions. This
affords a saving in helicopter fl ying hours
while offering a simulation that is very close
to reality for the gunners.
Although the original A129 design dates
back to the late 1970s, continuous updates
have ensured that it remains operationally
valid. It is almost certain that the G19 will
not be the last iteration of this functional
machine to see Italian Army service.performance and mission management.
Operational requirements for the instructors
call for currency on the RH-206C
(AB206C-1) and the AH-129C/D, tactical
operational readiness, NVG-supported
night-fl ying capability, and current
operational weapons validity. For the
engineers, however, the requirements are
focused on familiarity with the AH-129C/D,
including engine maintenance, electronics,
and support systems. When NVG-supported
night fl ying is involved, the engineers also
require approval to work on the associated
system, and the maintenance of the self-
defense suite.
Since 2006 some 194 pilots and 345
engineers have qualifi ed on the helicopter,
activities being conducted on behalf ofhttp://www.combataircraft.net May 2015 8986-89 AH-129D C.indd 89 20/03/2015 11:14