Page 60 - HeliOps Frontline Issue 26

60 HELIOPS FRONTLINE / ISSUE 26 / 2019

The Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana or MMI) airbase

Maristaeli Luni has, since 1999, been named after Admiral Giovanni Fiorini,

a major architect of the Italian Navy’s helicopter component and the
main creator of Maristaeli (Marina Stazione Elicotteri) Luni (Sarzana-Luni

helicopter terminal). One of the three MMI air bases, Maristaeli Luni has a

relatively short history, with construction commencing in the 1960s in an
area adjacent to the existing airfield. The base became operational on

1 November 1969 with the establishment of 5º Gruppo Elicoterri, equipped
with the Agusta-Bell AB-47J and during May 1971, 1º Gruppo Elicoterri

moved in from Catania-Fontanarossa, Sicily, with their Sikorsky SH-34s.

Both units have remained headquartered there ever since and form the
heart of the base’s operational and supporting activities.

OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Maristaeli Luni’s primary function is to provide logistical
support, training and standardisation of crews for the two
Gruppo Elicoterri, operating a mix of AgustaWestland (formerly
EH Industries) EH-101 variants and NH Industries SH-90s. In
addition, it supports ship-embarked aircraft and those deployed in
operational theatres. The main tasks of the two Gruppo Elicoterri
are to maintain the operational readiness of air and maintenance
crews and their aircraft, operating primarily in the anti-surface
& anti-submarine roles. The units also support the 1st San Marco
Regiment, an amphibious unit of the Italian Navy (Italian Marines).
Two base units provide training for both pilots and supporting
crew. Aircrew have the ability to train in the AgustaWestland EH-
101 simulator, which was delivered in 2011. The full mission flight
simulator (FMFS) and rear crew trainer (RCT) facility provides a
complete training environment for EH-101 crews of all versions,
enabling both student pilots and experienced crews to receive
initial and recurrency flight and mission training, or practice
emergency cockpit procedures, night-vision goggle training, ship
deck landings and tactical mission training. The RCT portion of
the simulator mirrors the rear cabin of the Anti-Surface Warfare
(ASW) version of the EH-101 and is used to teach and refresh
tactical crews’ operation of all the sensors, avionics and software