Page 68 - HeliOps Frontline Issue 26

68 HELIOPS FRONTLINE / ISSUE 26 / 2019

300 men and women in a three to four-month rotation. Three
UH-101A helicopters operated both day and night, thanks to their
forward-looking infrared (FLIR), night vision goggle (NVG) and
effective self-protection systems. Operating under the Western
Regional Command NATO (Regional Command RC-WEST) in the
Herat area of Western Afghanistan - where the Italian command
is also located - they were tasked with surveillance, patrol, convoy
escort and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions, and amassed
approximately 900 flight hours in 1112 sorties, over 224 missions,
during which they transported about 3,700 passengers and
95,000kg of materials. With the operational area also extending
towards the south of Afghanistan, the helicopters also supported
the Italian personnel of the Sassari Mechanized Brigade and the 1st
San Marco Regiment, all three machines finally returning to Italy in
January 2012.
Since 2015, 5° Gruppo Elicoterri has been involved in operation
‘Mare Sicuro’. Following the worsening of the Libyan crisis and the
increasing risks caused by the presence of extremist entities that
significantly raise the terrorist threat level, the Naval operation
conducts protection missions in the maritime environment,
safeguarding national interests such as freedom of navigation
at sea, protection of naval vessels engaged in rescue operations,
merchant ships, Italian fishing vessels and oil platforms in the area.
The Naval surveillance and security operation started on 12 March
2015 and utilizes naval vessels as well as helicopters stationed
onboard these ships. Due to the strong geo-political instability on
the African continent - in particular in Libya and the sub-Saharan
regions - illegal immigration has significantly intensified. For this
reason, the operation often involves search and rescue missions
to safeguard human life at sea. ‘Mare Sicuro’ has an operational
area of approximately 160,000 km² of sea, located in the central