Carabinieri Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria"
Squadrone Carabinieri Eliportato “Cacciatori di Calabria”
Active1 July 1991 - Present
Country Italy
Branch Carabinieri
TypeGendarmerie
RoleTerritorial control, fugitives arrest
SizeCompany
90[1] to 100[2] troops ca.
Part ofCalabria Operational Group
Operations base"Luigi Razza" Airbase, Vibo Valentia
Motto(s)"Vigilantia de cielo, coercitio ex terra"[1]
(Surveillance from the sky, coercion from the ground)
BeretRed
Mascot(s)Whisky
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt. Col. Maurizio Biasin[1]

The Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" (Italian: Squadrone Carabinieri Eliportato “Cacciatori di Calabria”) is a Carabinieri squadron (company-sized unit) based at the "Luigi Razza" Airbase, Vibo Valentia, Italy. The unit was established on 1 July 1991.

Carabinieri who are part of the Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" wear the red beret.

History

The Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" traces its origins to the "squadrons" (Italian: Squadriglie), small Carabinieri patrols assigned to Aspromonte and Barbagia (in Sardinia) since 1970.[1][3]

The name was chosen in reference to Garibaldi's Cacciatori delle Alpi, being inspired by the guerilla warfare tactics employed by this unit.[1]

During 2000s the squadron performed or contributed to several important fugitives' arrests and captures, such as Giuseppe Bellocco.[4][5]

Mission

The Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" has the mission to support the territorial organization in patrolling Calabria's interior regions least accessible in search for important 'ndrangheta fugitives and rural law enforcement, by combining military and police techniques.[6]

This unit supports the Carabinieri territorial units in the fight against organized crime on the Aspromonte ground, acting in symbiosis with helicopters and canine units. Unit's particularities include sudden and fast daytime and nocturnal infiltrations in the deep heart of the mountain bumps and ambushes carried out in difficult environmental conditions waiting to capture kidnappers or fugitives.[7]

If necessary, the squadron provides support in rescue missions in natural disasters. For particular needs, the squadron may be deployed in other Regions or support Carabinieri territorial commands.

Squadrons of the Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" may be assigned to two different mission types: autonomous tasks and support tasks. The autonomous missions include investigations and information collections, cooperating with the relevant Carabinieri commands and stations. Support missions are preceded by an autonomous analysis, recognition and planification (together with the command requesting the support intervention). In all cases, however, the coordination between the Legion Command (regional-level) and the individual commands is constant and continuous.[8]

Counter-terrorism

As part of the Carabinieri counter-terrorist apparatus, the Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" provides Emergency Intervention Detachments (Italian: Aliquote di Primo Intervento); while Detachment operating in provincial capital cities depend on the relevant Provincial Command and focus their surveillance on sensitive places, Detachments of the Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" operate both across the Calabria territory (with the exception of Reggio Calabria) and in other Regions.[9]

In particular, Emergency Intervention Detachments of the Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" are focused on sensitive targets such as universities, national events or rallies, meetings and conventions.[9]

Organization

The Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" depends on the Calabria Operational Group (established on 1 September 1992),[10] headed by the deputy commander of the Calabria Carabinieri Legion.[11] The squadron consists of 15 Teams framed into two Platoons.[12]

Each Teams consists of specially trained Carabinieri: specialist climbers, patrolmen, marksmen, bomb disposal experts. One Team in one Platoon consists only of specialist rock climbers, while another Team in the other Platoon consists of alpine rescue-qualified specialist rock climbers.[13]

Admission into the Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" is upon demand and selection, conducted also by the 1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"; training continues also after arriving in the squadron.[12]

The unit is headquartered in the "Operational and Logistics Base", located in "Luigi Razza" Airbase, Vibo Valentia together with the 8th Helicopters Unit, the K-9 Unit, the Carabinieri Special Company (also dependent on the Calabria Operational Group),[10] and the 14th Carabinieri Battalion "Calabria".[11]

Uniform

The Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria", in addition to uniforms issued to all Carabinieri, wear an Operational Uniform, consisting of camouflage battle dress (together with 1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania", Carabinieri Cavalry Regiment, and fellow Cacciatori Squadrons).[14] Blue neckerchief, leather gloves and combat boots[15] complete the look.

Weaponry

"Cacciatori di Calabria" on parade in Rome, 2 June 2006.

The Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria" uses individual and unit-level equipment and weaponry.

Unit-level weapons are submachine guns, shotguns and assault rifles.[16] Unit weaponry include:[16]

Heckler & Koch MP5A5 submachine guns are unit weapons assigned to an individual Carabiniere.[17]

Personal weapons include:[16]

Further reading

Lorenzo Tondo, 'Secret bunkers and mountain hideouts: hunting Italy's mafia bosses', The Guardian, 22 November 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Squadrone Eliportato Carabinieri Cacciatori di Calabria (prima parte): oltre il coraggio". Difesa Online (in Italian). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "Lo Squadrone Cacciatori carabinieri, su Rai 2 la storia dei 100 super militari che combattono la 'ndrangheta". Il Quotidiano del Sud (in Italian). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "Squadrone Eliportato "Cacciatori" Calabria | Corpi d' élite - Forze speciali italiane, antiterrorismo, intelligence". corpidelite.net (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  4. ↑ (in Italian) Arrestato il Boss Giuseppe Bellocco Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, MelitoOnline, July 17, 2007
  5. ↑ "Arresti eccellenti". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "Cacciatori". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "La Compagnia di Intervento Operativo e i Cacciatori". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  8. ↑ Staini, Lia Pasqualina (7 December 2017). "Squadrone Eliportato Carabinieri Cacciatori di Calabria (seconda parte): in attività nella terra dei "Sanlucoti"". Difesa Online (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  9. 1 2 Stani, Lia Pasqualina (21 February 2018). "Squadrone Eliportato Carabinieri Cacciatori di Calabria (terza parte): impiego ed addestramento contro il terrorismo". Difesa Online (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Gruppo Operativo Calabria". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  11. 1 2 Cirillo, Alessandro (20 May 2016). "Cacciatori di Calabria dei Carabinieri | Alessandro Cirillo Scrittore". Alessandro Cirillo Scrittore (in Italian). Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Senza via di .. Scampo". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). February 2002. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Cacciatori di Calabria". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "Uniforme operativa". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Accessori uniforme operativa". www.carabinieri.it (in Italian). Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Stani, Lia Pasqualini (21 March 2018). "Squadrone Eliportato Carabinieri Cacciatori di Calabria: dall'armeria al poligono di tiro". Difesa Online (in Italian). Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  17. ↑ Stani, Lia Pasqualina (11 April 2018). "Squadrone Eliportato Carabinieri Cacciatori di Calabria: al poligono di tiro". Difesa Online (in Italian). Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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