Italian State Aviation
This is not an air force. It is the collection of flying services the Italian state runs outside its armed forces’ air arms — the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, the national fire service, the Coast Guard and the State Police — and between them they operate more aircraft than most European air forces. Two of the five are legally military and two are civil, one sits inside the navy while answering to a transport ministry, and the most famous aircraft of the lot, the yellow and red Canadair water bombers, are owned by the fire service, tasked by the civil protection department and flown by a private company registered in Lisbon.
Italian state aviation: yellow water bombers, blue police helicopters and a fox over the sea
1954–1971: five services discover the helicopter, one after another
Italy came to state aviation the way most countries did: piecemeal, and usually after a disaster. The Guardia di Finanza was first with a formal service, created on 1 February 1954 with Agusta-Bell 47 helicopters at Naples to chase smugglers along the coast, and its badge has been a red fox on a yellow field ever since. The fire service took its first AB-47G in the mid-1950s. The Carabinieri ran their first observer course in 1957 and borrowed air force AB-47G-2s and crews for a trial detachment at Palermo two years later, ordered four AB-47Js of their own on 25 March 1960, and stood up their own air service, with a helicopter base at Pratica di Mare, on 1 June 1965. The State Police came last, by ministerial decree of 1 January 1971, at Pratica di Mare, to watch the motorways from above.
The Canadair question: who owns Italy’s water bombers, and who actually flies them
The most misreported thing in Italian aviation is the ownership of the Canadairs. They are not the air force’s and they have not belonged to the Protezione Civile since 2013, when a decree published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale of 22 April transferred the whole fleet of nineteen CL-415 to the fire service department; specialist accounts date the practical handover to 2015. The aircraft are state property, carried on the fire service’s own aircraft register rather than the civil one, and marked VF. But no fireman flies them. Since the early 2000s they have been crewed, maintained and based by a private contractor — SOREM, then Inaer, then Babcock Mission Critical Services Italia, renamed Avincis Aviation Italia in 2023 — while tasking comes from the civil protection department’s Centro Operativo Aereo Unificato. Three owners in one sentence, which is why the newspapers rarely get it right.
1 January 2017: the Corpo Forestale is abolished and its aircraft are shared out
On 1 January 2017 the Corpo Forestale dello Stato, a 194-year-old corps, ceased to exist. Legislative decree 177 of 19 August 2016 folded most of it into the Carabinieri, and its air service — 80 pilots, 120 technicians, 37 helicopters and one aeroplane operating under the call sign Eagle from Roma Urbe, Ciampino, Cecina, Belluno, Pescara, Rieti and Lamezia Terme — was cut in two. The firefighting half went to the Vigili del Fuoco: four Erickson S-64F Air Cranes and a tranche of AB-412s, along with the bases at Cecina and Rieti, which became fire service flight units. The policing half went to the Carabinieri: eighteen AB-412EP, twelve NH-500, three AW109N and a Piaggio P.180. The Forestale’s white and green paint scheme outlived the corps by years.
The sea services: a fox over the Mediterranean and a clownfish on a winch
Two of the five services work mainly over water, and they are easy to confuse because both fly ATR-42MPs and both call them Manta. The Guardia di Finanza is a military corps of the finance ministry; its Gruppo Esplorazione Aeromarittima at Pratica di Mare, formed as the II Gruppo aereo on 1 August 1991 and renamed on 1 January 2000, flies the long-range aeroplanes — four ATR 42-400MP and four ATR 72MP, the latter designated P-72B — hunting drug runners, cigarette smugglers and migrant boats. The Guardia Costiera is a corps of the navy that answers to the transport ministry for its civil work; its sixteen AW139s, call sign Nemo, do search and rescue from four bases on a 24-hour alarm, and it is the helicopter Italians see winching people off sinking boats on the evening news.
2019–2026: Leonardo re-equips almost everybody, and the AB-412 era ends
Between 2019 and 2026 Leonardo effectively re-equipped the lot. The Guardia di Finanza took twenty AW139s and started on a contract for twenty-two AW169M, designated UH-169A, signed in November 2018. The fire service ordered AW139s in batches until it had thirty-two. The Carabinieri bought three AW139s, a Light Utility Helicopter programme of eleven AW169M with an option for five more, and twenty single-engined AW119Kx — local designation RH-119A — ordered on 27 October 2022 for delivery by 2026. The Coast Guard began a fourteen-aircraft AW139 top-up in July 2025. The casualty was the Agusta-Bell 412, the four-bladed workhorse every one of these services flew: the Guardia di Finanza’s last flight was on 14 March 2025, and the Carabinieri retired theirs on 31 December 2025 after forty-one years.
2025–2026: a contract annulled, a summer of fires, and two aeroplanes ordered for 2029
Then 2026 went wrong twice. In December 2025 the Consiglio di Stato annulled the Interior Ministry’s 479-million-euro tender for running the Canadair fleet, because the ministry had failed to explain why it would not split a national contract into geographical lots; the ruling became public at the end of April 2026, six weeks before the fire season. The ministry patched continuity together and fielded fifteen Canadairs and four Air Cranes for the peak period. It was not enough for the kind of summer Italy got: 95,345 hectares burnt by 26 August, nearly double the twenty-year average, with 49,835 hectares in the single week of 22 July. Italy has meanwhile ordered exactly two replacement water bombers, for delivery in 2029 and 2030.
The Italian State Aviation in numbers
Service
- What this is
- Five flying services, not an air forceThe Arma dei Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza are military forces with police duties. The Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco and the Polizia di Stato are civil. The Guardia Costiera is a corps of the Marina Militare that answers to the infrastructure and transport ministry for most of what it does. None of them is part of the Aeronautica Militare, and none of their aircraft is a combat aircraft.
- Founded
- 1 February 1954The date the Guardia di Finanza’s air service was created, the oldest of the five still flying. The fire service had helicopters by the mid-1950s; the Carabinieri borrowed air force machines from 1957 and formed their first helicopter section on 15 May 1964; the Coast Guard air component dates from 1989 and the State Police service from 1 January 1971.
- Ministries
-
- Ministero dell’Interno — Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco and Polizia di Stato
- Ministero della Difesa — Arma dei Carabinieri, a fourth armed force since 2000
- Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze — Guardia di Finanza
- Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti — Capitanerie di porto, Guardia Costiera
Four ministries, five procurement routes, five maintenance organisations and five aircrew training pipelines — though all of them send pilots to the same Aeronautica Militare schools at Frosinone, Latina and Caserta.
- Heads of service
-
- Ing. Eros Mannino, capo del Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco, since 1 December 2024
- Gen. C.A. Salvatore Luongo, comandante generale dell’Arma dei Carabinieri, since 15 November 2024
- Gen. C.A. Andrea De Gennaro, comandante generale della Guardia di Finanza, since 23 May 2023
- Amm. Isp. Capo Sergio Liardo, comandante generale delle Capitanerie di porto, since 24 September 2025
- Prefetto Vittorio Pisani, capo della Polizia, since 11 May 2023
No one commands Italian state aviation as a whole. The only body that speaks for all of it at once is the Centro Operativo Aereo Unificato, and only on firefighting days.
- Call signs
-
- Canadair — the CL-415 water bombers, flown as numbered aircraft (Canadair 28 and so on)
- Drago — the fire service helicopters
- Nemo — the Coast Guard AW139, after the clownfish
- Manta — the ATR-42MP maritime patrollers of both the Coast Guard and the Guardia di Finanza
- Volpe — the Guardia di Finanza helicopters, after the fox on the service badge
- Eagle — the Corpo Forestale’s aircraft, a call sign that died with the corps in 2016
The Coast Guard’s retired AB-412s were Koala and its retired Piaggio P.166s were Orca. The Carabinieri AB-412 was the Griffon.
- What they do not do
- FightNone of these services has a combat record and none of their aircraft is armed for air-to-air or air-to-ground work. The Carabinieri fly the GIS and the Cacciatori squadrons, and Carabinieri units have deployed abroad, but the aircraft on this page are police, rescue and firefighting machines.
Strength
- Canadair CL-415
- 18The official fire service figure, and the largest CL-415 fleet in the world. Nineteen were transferred from the civil protection department in 2013 and one was destroyed on Etna on 27 October 2022. The 2026 contract set availability in tiers of eight, twelve and fifteen aircraft, the top tier covering the peak from 1 July to 5 September.
- Erickson S-64F Air Crane
- 5Four inherited from the Corpo Forestale in 2017 and two bought from January 2020; one was destroyed at Reggio Calabria on 22 July 2024. Each carries about 10,030 litres. They are flown jointly by the fire service and the contractor European Air Cranes.
- Helicopters, all five services
- ~230Roughly 60 Carabinieri, about 60 Guardia di Finanza, some 80 fire service, 16 Coast Guard AW139 and some 45 State Police machines. Every one of the five is mid-way through replacing legacy types, so the figure moves month to month and no single office publishes it.
- Fixed wing
- ~3018 Canadair, 4 ATR 42-400MP and 4 ATR 72MP of the Guardia di Finanza, 3 Coast Guard ATR-42MP, ten State Police Partenavia P.68 Observers and a scattering of Piaggio P.180 Avantis across four services.
- Aerial firefighting personnel
- About 250 at Avincis aloneThe Canadair contractor employs around 250 people in Italy, including more than a hundred pilots and about as many licensed engineers, across permanent bases at Ciampino, Genoa and Lamezia Terme and seasonal ones.
- Canadair contract
- 479,174,759.22 eurosThe base value of the seven-year Interior Ministry tender for operating and supporting the fleet, won by Avincis in January 2025 and annulled by the Consiglio di Stato in December 2025.
Infrastructure
- Flight units
-
- Carabinieri: a Raggruppamento Aeromobili and a Gruppo Volo at Pratica di Mare, plus 16 Nuclei Elicotteri
- Guardia di Finanza: a Centro di Aviazione at Pratica di Mare, the GEA, two Sezioni Aeree di Manovra and 13 Sezioni Aeree
- Vigili del Fuoco: the Centro Aviazione at Ciampino and 15 Reparti Volo
- Guardia Costiera: four Basi Aeromobili — Sarzana-Luni, Catania, Pescara and Decimomannu
- Polizia di Stato: 11 Reparti Volo
About fifty permanent flying sites in all, almost none of them an airfield of its own: these services are tenants on air force bases, naval air stations and civil airports.
- Canadair bases
- 3 permanent, plus seasonalCiampino, Genoa and Lamezia Terme are permanent. In the 2026 peak period the state fleet was spread over Genoa, Casarsa della Delizia, L’Aquila, Viterbo, Rieti, Roma-Urbe, Ciampino, Napoli-Capodichino, Lamezia Terme, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Sigonella, Trapani, Cagliari, Decimomannu and Olbia.
- Fire season
- 15 June to 15 OctoberSet each year by the minister for civil protection. For 2026 the period of maximum readiness ran from 1 July to 5 September, with 15 Canadair and 4 Air Cranes on the line and nine more helicopters from the armed forces and the Carabinieri.
How the Italian State Aviation is organised
Five services, four ministries, no single commander. Two of them are military forces with police duties, two are civil, and the fifth is a corps of the navy that answers to the transport ministry. The only body that speaks for all of them at once is the Centro Operativo Aereo Unificato, and only on firefighting days.
Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco
The national fire service, a civil organisation inside the interior ministry’s Dipartimento dei vigili del fuoco, del soccorso pubblico e della difesa civile. It owns every state water bomber Italy has. Headed since 1 December 2024 by Ing. Eros Mannino, with the fire service department under a prefect.
Ufficio di coordinamento del servizio aereo e del soccorso aeroportuale
Plans and directs the fire service’s aviation and its airport rescue service, under the Direzione Centrale per l’Emergenza, il Soccorso Tecnico e l’Antincendio Boschivo. Headed by Ing. Franco Feliziani. It runs three subordinate offices, including the one that supervises the contracts under which the Canadairs and Air Cranes are flown.
Centro Aviazione dei Vigili del Fuoco
Holds the flight operations room, the national flying school, the technician school and the Reparto Volo Nazionale with the Piaggio P.180s and the Erickson S-64Fs.
Reparti Volo del Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco
Fifteen units, under their regional or interregional fire commands and grouped into three air regions for coordination. Eleven existed at the end of 2016; Cecina Mare and Rieti were added from the Corpo Forestale on 1 January 2017, an autonomous unit was created at Ciampino, and Lamezia Terme followed on 3 July 2019.
Centro Operativo Aereo Unificato
The civil protection department cell that tasks the state air fleet against forest fires. Regions ask it for aircraft when their own are not enough, and it decides the seasonal deployment on the basis of weather forecasts, the national fire risk bulletin, historical statistics, the regional fleets and the availability of water.
Avincis Aviation Italia
The private contractor that flies and maintains the eighteen Canadairs on the fire service’s behalf, previously Babcock Mission Critical Services Italia and before that Inaer and SOREM. Around 250 staff in Italy, three permanent and three seasonal bases, and maintenance centres at Ciampino, Lamezia Terme, Genoa, Olbia, Trapani and Naples. Its parent operates about 220 aircraft from over 180 bases, run from Lisbon.
European Air Cranes
Operates the Erickson S-64F fleet under contract, as it has since the helicopters were delivered to the Corpo Forestale.
Servizio aereo dell’Arma dei Carabinieri
An office of the second department of the Comando Generale staff for policy, training and logistics, plus the operational structure. About 59 helicopters and two aeroplanes.
Raggruppamento Aeromobili Carabinieri
Under the Divisione unità specializzate of the Comando delle unità mobili e specializzate "Palidoro". It holds a Gruppo Volo with an aeroplane flight and two helicopter flights, and coordinates the sixteen field units.
Nuclei Elicotteri Carabinieri
Sixteen units at Volpiano, Bergamo-Orio al Serio, Bolzano, Pisa, Pescara, Bari, Salerno-Pontecagnano, Vibo Valentia, Palermo, Olbia, Cagliari, Catania, Forlì, Belluno, Villanova d’Albenga and Rieti. The first three — Bolzano, Cagliari and Palermo — were formed in 1965.
Comando unità forestali, ambientali e agroalimentari
The command created on 25 October 2016 to absorb the Corpo Forestale dello Stato, which brought the Forestale’s policing aircraft into the Arma on 1 January 2017.
Servizio aereo della Guardia di Finanza
Created on 1 February 1954, under the IV Reparto of the Comando Generale and integrated with the naval service in the Comando Operativo Aeronavale. About 780 personnel and 72 aircraft.
Gruppo Esplorazione Aeromarittima
The Corps’ only fixed-wing flying unit, with the ATR 42-400MP, the ATR 72MP and the Piaggio P.180. Formed as the II Gruppo aereo on 1 August 1991, renamed on 1 January 2000.
Sezioni Aeree e Sezioni Aeree di Manovra
Two manoeuvre sections for long over-water sorties, at Grottaglie and Catania, and thirteen air sections at Bolzano, Venegono Superiore, Genoa, Venice, Rimini, Pisa, Pescara, Pratica di Mare, Naples, Bari, Lamezia Terme, Palermo and Cagliari-Elmas, under the regional aeronaval operational units.
Componente aerea del Corpo delle capitanerie di porto
Activated in 1989 by bringing together the existing aeronaval units. Sixteen AW139, three ATR 42MP and three Piaggio P.180 from four bases. Its aircraft and crews belong to a corps of the Marina Militare, but the work is done for the infrastructure and transport ministry.
Basi Aeromobili della Guardia Costiera
Sarzana-Luni since December 1991, Catania since 1 July 2006, Pescara since 21 January 2016 for helicopters and July 1990 for aeroplanes, and Decimomannu since 17 July 2018.
Servizio aereo della Polizia di Stato
Created by ministerial decree on 1 January 1971 under the Dipartimento della pubblica sicurezza. Eleven flight units and a flying school at Pratica di Mare set up in 1988. The service’s own published staffing figure, now some years old, is about 526 people, of whom 174 pilots and 352 technicians.
Reparti Volo della Polizia di Stato
Eleven: Pratica di Mare, Milan Malpensa, Bologna, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Naples, Oristano, Florence, Bari, Venice and Pescara. The last of them, Pescara, opened in 1993 and completed national coverage.
Servizio aereo del Corpo forestale dello Stato
Active from 1979 to 31 December 2016 with 80 pilots, 120 specialists, 37 helicopters and one aeroplane, flying as Eagle from Roma Urbe, Ciampino, Cecina, Belluno, Pescara, Rieti and Lamezia Terme, with Air Cranes at Albenga, Oristano and Trapani.
What the Italian State Aviation flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadair CL-415In service | Amphibious water bomber — Vigili del Fuoco | 18 | 1995 | — | 18. Nineteen were transferred from the civil protection department in 2013 and one was lost on Etna in 2022.
MoreItaly has written off four CL-415 since 1995 — at Esine in 2003, Forte dei Marmi in 2005, Acciano in 2007 and Linguaglossa in 2022 — so more than nineteen were delivered in total, but no official delivered figure is published. |
|
| Erickson S-64F Air CraneIn service | Heavy firefighting helicopter — Vigili del Fuoco | 5 | 2017 | — | 5. Four came from the Corpo Forestale on 1 January 2017, a fifth was delivered in May 2020 and a sixth in May 2021; one was destroyed at Reggio Calabria on 22 July 2024. | |
| Leonardo AW139In service | Medium rescue and firefighting helicopter — Vigili del Fuoco | 28 | 2019 | — | 28 in service: three ordered in late 2018, five more in June 2019 and a further tranche taken on charge to February 2023.
MoreEight more were ordered in November 2024, which will take the fleet to 36. |
|
| Agusta-Bell AB-412In service | Utility, rescue and firefighting helicopter — Vigili del Fuoco | 33 | 1984 | — | 33 of 35 AB-412EP and AB-412SP delivered from 1984, two lost, plus the machines inherited from the Corpo Forestale in 2017. The line is being run down as AW139s arrive. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-206B JetRangerIn service | Observation and training helicopter — Vigili del Fuoco | 16 | 1968 | — | 16 of 19 delivered from 1968; three lost. | |
| Piaggio P.180 Avanti IIIn service | Liaison and transport aeroplane — Vigili del Fuoco | 2 | 2005 | — | 2, VF-181 and VF-182, at the Centro Aviazione at Ciampino. Disposal of the older aircraft has been authorised, with a P.180 Avanti EVO+ intended to replace it. | |
| Leonardo AW169M (UH-169C)In service | Light-intermediate multirole helicopter — Carabinieri | — | 2022 | — | The Light Utility Helicopter programme covers 11 aircraft with an option for five more, worth 246 million euros across 2021–34.
MoreSix had been handed over by 18 January 2024 and deliveries were continuing through 2026. The Arma does not publish a running total, so no current in-service figure is given here. |
|
| Leonardo AW139 (UH-139D)In service | Medium multirole helicopter — Carabinieri | 3 | 2020 | — | 3. Two were ordered in 2019 and delivered in spring 2020; a third followed. The first pair were shown publicly at Cortina during the 2021 alpine skiing world championships. | |
| Leonardo AW119Kx (RH-119A)In service | Single-engined light helicopter — Carabinieri | — | 2023 | — | 20 ordered on 27 October 2022 with deliveries expected between 2023 and 2026, assembled at Vergiate. The first aircraft, CSX82103, flew in 2024.
MoreNo official in-service total has been published. |
|
| Agusta A109 familyIn service | Light multirole helicopter — Carabinieri | — | 1979 | — | 24 A109A and A109A Mk.II delivered from December 1978, three A109E Power from 2000 for VIP transport and 17 AW109N Nexus from 2008, plus three A109N inherited from the Corpo Forestale in 2017.
MoreThe oldest are going as the AW119Kx arrives and no current figure is published. |
|
| Breda Nardi NH-500D (OH-500D)In service | Observation helicopter — Carabinieri | 10 | 2017 | — | 10, inherited from the Corpo Forestale in 2017 out of the twelve NH-500C and NH-500D that corps had received. Flown by the Pescara and Rieti nuclei. | |
| Piaggio P.180 Avanti IIIn service | Liaison and VIP transport aeroplane — Carabinieri | 2 | 2006 | — | 2, one of them inherited from the Corpo Forestale. In service as of 2020. | |
| Alenia ATR 42-400MP MantaIn service | Medium-range maritime patrol aeroplane — Guardia di Finanza | 4 | 1996 | — | 4, received in the 1990s; the first entered service in 1996. One is used only for personnel transport. | |
| Leonardo ATR 72MP (P-72B)In service | Long-range maritime patrol aeroplane — Guardia di Finanza | 4 | 2019 | — | 4 ordered from 2018, the first two delivered on 27 November 2019 and the fourth at Caselle Torinese at the end of July 2022. One is configured for personnel transport. | |
| Leonardo AW139In service | Medium multirole helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | 20 | 2008 | — | 20 in service at March 2023. The first was delivered in December 2008 and the second in December 2011; six were ordered on 13 December 2016 and six more on 11 December 2017. | |
| Leonardo AW169M (UH-169A)In service | Light-intermediate multirole helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | 15 | 2019 | — | 15 in service in 2024 of 24 ordered in November 2018 for about 280 million euros, six with fixed landing gear and eighteen on skids.
MoreOne, MM81970, was wrecked at Bolzano on 27 March 2021 when it rolled onto its side while taxiing; the crew were unhurt. Italian reference works sometimes give the order as 24. |
|
| AgustaWestland AW109N NexusIn service | Light helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | — | 2009 | — | 18 delivered from 2009, down to 17 by December 2019.
MoreLater surveys give a much smaller number still flying as the AW169M replaces them; the Corps does not publish a current figure and the sources disagree, so none is given. |
|
| Breda Nardi NH-500In service | Observation and training helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | 6 | 1973 | — | 6 NH-500MC and NH-500MD left in 2024 of 73 NH-500M, MC and MD delivered from 1973. | |
| Piaggio P.180 Avanti IIIn service | Transport aeroplane — Guardia di Finanza | 2 | 2007 | — | 2, in service since 27 February 2007. A single P.180 Avanti EVO was ordered on 4 September 2025. | |
| Leonardo AW139 NemoIn service | Search and rescue helicopter — Guardia Costiera | 16 | 2010 | — | 16, the official current figure. Deliveries began in 2010. A further 14 were announced on 18 July 2025, starting with Nemo 11-19, which will take the fleet to 18. | |
| ATR 42MP MantaIn service | Maritime surveillance aeroplane — Guardia Costiera | 3 | 1998 | — | 3: one ATR-42MP-420 bought in 1998 and two of the 500 series. A fourth, an ATR 42-600 Maritime Patrol, was ordered in November 2024.
MoreThe Coast Guard’s own fleet page describes the fixed-wing force as "four aircraft (3 ATR 42MP and 3 Piaggio P180 Avanti II)", which does not add up; the aircraft-by-aircraft pages give three of each. |
|
| Piaggio P.180 Avanti IIIn service | Liaison and surveillance aeroplane — Guardia Costiera | 3 | 2011 | — | 3 according to the Coast Guard fleet page; the first was delivered in March 2011 and one is based at Catania. | |
| Leonardo AW139 (UH-139C and UH-139E)In service | Medium multirole helicopter — Polizia di Stato | 11 | 2013 | — | 11: eight UH-139C delivered between 2013 and 2014 and three UH-139E ordered in 2019, two of which went to the Bologna and Naples flight units in December 2024.
MoreThe stated objective is a single line of 15 aircraft nationwide. |
|
| Agusta-Bell AB-212 (UH-212)In service | Medium utility helicopter — Polizia di Stato | 21 | 1976 | — | 21 in service in August 2022. The first entered service in 1976 and the survivors were built between the late 1970s and the early 1980s. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-206 (RH-206C)In service | Light and training helicopter — Polizia di Stato | 15 | 1972 | — | 15 in service in May 2022, by then concentrated in three flight units. The oldest, PS-30, turned fifty in 2022. | |
| Partenavia P.68 ObserverIn service | Observation aeroplane — Polizia di Stato | 10 | 1987 | — | 10 in service in May 2022; the type was bought from 1987. | |
| Piaggio P.180 Avanti IIIn service | Surveillance and VIP transport aeroplane — Polizia di Stato | 3 | 2007 | — | 3 in service in May 2022; the first was bought in 2007. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Havilland Canada DHC-515 FirefighterOn order | 2 | 2029 | Italy has ordered two, for delivery in 2029 and 2030, at a cost in the order of 99 million euros.
MoreThat is the whole of the national water-bomber replacement programme so far, against eighteen CL-415 that entered service from the mid-1990s. Production of the Canadair had been stopped since 2015 and restarted only after a grouped European order; the first new aircraft are not expected to fly before 2027. Twelve more amphibians are being built for the rescEU reserve and pre-positioned in six countries including Italy. |
|
| Leonardo AW139 NemoOn order | 13 | 2025 | Fourteen new AW139s were announced for the Coast Guard on 18 July 2025 at Vergiate, the first of them Nemo 11-19, taking the rotary-wing fleet to 18 aircraft.
MoreAnnounced at the same time: a fourth ATR 42-600 Maritime Patrol and a remotely piloted aircraft capability funded from the national recovery plan. |
|
| Leonardo AW119Kx (RH-119A)On order | — | 2023 | Twenty ordered by the Carabinieri on 27 October 2022 with deliveries expected between 2023 and 2026, assembled at Vergiate, with a turnkey support and training package.
MoreThe balance still to be delivered has not been published. |
|
| Leonardo AW169M (UH-169C)On order | 5 | 2026 | The Carabinieri hold an option for five more AW169M on top of the eleven of the Light Utility Helicopter programme, which would take the line to sixteen. | |
| ATR 42-600 Maritime PatrolOn order | 1 | Ordered by the Coast Guard in November 2024 as a fourth long-range surveillance aircraft. | ||
| Piaggio P.180 Avanti EVOOn order | 1 | Ordered by the Guardia di Finanza on 4 September 2025. |
Every type the Italian State Aviation has retired
17 types, from the Agusta-Bell AB-47 to the AgustaWestland AW109E Power. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AgustaWestland AW109E Power | Light rescue helicopter — Vigili del Fuoco | 5 | 2003–2025 | — | 5 delivered from 2003, all withdrawn by 2025. A single A109S Grand, bought for the Genoa flight unit with a donation from Banca Carige, was retired earlier. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-412 Griffon | Medium transport helicopter — Carabinieri | 39 | 1984–2025 | AW139, AW169M and AW119Kx | 39: 34 bought new in STD, SP and HP versions from 1984, plus five AB-412EP inherited from the Corpo Forestale in 2017. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-412HP and HH-412C | Medium utility helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | 22 | 1993–2025 | AW139 and AW169M | 22: 18 AB-412HP and four HH-412C, in service from 1993. | |
| Piaggio P.166-DL3 and DP1 SEM | Maritime surveillance aeroplane — Guardia di Finanza | 12 | 1991–2022 | ATR 72MP | 12, in service from 1991. | |
| Agusta A109A and A109A Mk.II | Light helicopter — Polizia di Stato | 12 | 1979–2020 | — | 12, in service from 1979 and withdrawn in 2020. One AW109N Nexus, PS107, was damaged in an accident. | |
| Piaggio P.166DL-3 SEM Orca | Maritime surveillance aeroplane — Guardia Costiera | 14 | 1988–2017 | ATR 42MP | 14, in service from 1988. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-412EP Grifone | Firefighting and utility helicopter — Corpo Forestale dello Stato | 18 | 1980–2016 | — | 18 at the abolition of the corps; transferred to the Carabinieri, and five later carried the Arma’s markings. | |
| Breda Nardi NH-500C and NH-500D | Observation helicopter — Corpo Forestale dello Stato | 12 | — | — | 12 at the abolition of the corps, transferred to the Carabinieri; ten were still flying in 2023. | |
| Erickson S-64F Air Crane | Heavy firefighting helicopter — Corpo Forestale dello Stato | 4 | — | — | 4 at the abolition of the corps, transferred to the Vigili del Fuoco and based at Albenga, Oristano and Trapani. | |
| Agusta A109A Mk.II and A109C | Light helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | 25 | 1984–2009 | AW109N Nexus | 25: 14 A109A Mk.II SEM and 11 A109C, delivered from 1984. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-205A-1 | Transport helicopter — Carabinieri | 8 | 1971–1996 | AB-412 | 8 delivered from 1971, withdrawn during 1996. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-206B-1 JetRanger | Observation helicopter — Carabinieri | 42 | 1973– | AW119Kx | 42 delivered — fourteen from 1973 and twenty-eight more in 1978. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-204B | Transport helicopter — Carabinieri | 6 | 1963– | — | Fifteen were ordered in 1963 but only six entered service; the type did not suit the Arma and was soon replaced by the AB-205. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-47G/AB-47J | Light observation helicopter — Carabinieri | 30 | 1960– | — | 30 AB-47G-3B1 and AB-47J-3 from 1960. Three air force AB-47G-2s had been used under convention from 1957 with a Carabinieri officer aboard as observer. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-47 | Light observation helicopter — Guardia di Finanza | 48 | 1954– | — | 48 AB-47G, G2, G3B1, J and J3 from 1954. | |
| Agusta-Bell AB-412 Koala | Search and rescue helicopter — Guardia Costiera | 10 | 1993– | AW139 | 10 delivered: four AB-412SP and six AB-412HP.
MoreKoala 9-07 was lost in an accident on 17 October 2001; the SP aircraft were traded back to AgustaWestland in 2015 against the second AW139 contract. |
|
| Partenavia P.64B Oscar 200 | Observation aeroplane — Polizia di Stato | 3 | 1973– | — | 3 bought in 1973 for long-range motorway reconnaissance. |
Where Italian state aviation flies from
Almost none of these services owns an airfield. They are tenants — on air force bases, naval helicopter stations, civil airports and one grass strip in the Sabine hills — and on the busiest fields, Pratica di Mare, Catania, Bari and Pescara, three or four of them share the same apron.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alghero-FertiliaSardegna | LIEA | Active | 02/203,000 m |
|
| Bari-PalesePuglia | LIBD | Active | 07/253,000 m |
|
| BolzanoTrentino-Alto Adige | LIPB | Active | 01/191,740 m01R/19L709 mgrass |
|
| Cagliari-ElmasSardegna | LIEE | Active | 14/322,803 m |
|
| Catania-FontanarossaSicilia | LICC | Active | 08/262,435 m |
|
| CiampinoLazio | LIRA | Active | 15/332,202 m |
|
| DecimomannuSardegna | LIED | Active | 16L/34R2,985 m16R/34L2,765 m |
|
| Genoa — Cristoforo ColomboLiguria | LIMJ | Active | 10/282,915 m |
|
| Lamezia TermeCalabria | LICA | Active | 10/283,017 m |
|
| Milan MalpensaLombardia | LIMC | Active | 17L/35R3,920 m17R/35L3,920 m |
|
| OlbiaSardegna | LIEO | Active | 05/232,745 m |
|
| Oristano-FenosuSardegna | LIER | Active | 14/321,199 mbituminous |
|
| Palermo-BoccadifalcoSicilia | LICP | Active | 17/351,224 m |
|
| PescaraAbruzzo | LIBP | Active | 04/222,418 m |
|
| Pratica di MareLazio | LIRE | Active | 13R/31L2,481 m |
|
| RietiLazio | LIQN | Active | 16L/34R809 mgrass16R/34L809 mgrass |
|
| Roma-UrbeLazio | LIRU | Active | 16/341,084 m |
|
| Sarzana-LuniLiguria | LIQW | Active | 18/36905 m |
|
| Venegono SuperioreLombardia | LILN | Active | 17/351,420 m |
|
| Villanova d’AlbengaLiguria | LIMG | Active | 09/271,432 m |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Italian State Aviation
Flying units by field, with the service each belongs to. The Carabinieri number their units, the Guardia di Finanza calls them sections, the fire service calls them flight units and the Coast Guard calls them bases; they all do roughly the same thing.
- Raggruppamento Aeromobili CarabinieriRAC · Aviation group headquarters · active
- Leonardo AW169M, Leonardo AW139, Leonardo AW119Kx, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II
- Centro di Aviazione della Guardia di FinanzaCAGdF · Aviation centre and technical school · active
- Alenia ATR 42-400MP, Leonardo ATR 72MP, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II, Leonardo AW169M
- Gruppo Esplorazione AeromarittimaGEA · Maritime patrol group · active
- Alenia ATR 42-400MP, Leonardo ATR 72MP, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II
- 1º Reparto Volo della Polizia di StatoPrimo · Police flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-212, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II
- Centro Aviazione dei Vigili del FuocoCAVVF · Aviation centre · active
- Canadair CL-415, Erickson S-64F, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II
- Reparto Volo di RomaFire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- Avincis Aviation Italia — Canadair base and maintenance centreContractor flight and maintenance organisation · contract
- Canadair CL-415
- Nucleo Elicotteri Carabinieri di Roma-UrbePolice flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW119Kx, AgustaWestland AW109N
- Centro operativo aereo del Corpo forestale dello Stato1979–2016
- Agusta-Bell AB-412EP, Breda Nardi NH-500, AgustaWestland AW109N, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di GenovaDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di GenovaVolpe · Customs police flight section · active
- Breda Nardi NH-500
- Avincis Aviation Italia — Canadair baseContractor flight and maintenance organisation · active
- Canadair CL-415
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di Lamezia TermeDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Erickson S-64F, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di Lamezia TermeVolpe · Customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- Avincis Aviation Italia — Canadair base and maintenance centreContractor flight and maintenance organisation · active
- Canadair CL-415
- 2ª Sezione Volo Elicotteri e Nucleo Aereo Guardia CostieraNemo · Coast Guard air base · active
- Leonardo AW139, ATR 42MP, Piaggio P.180 Avanti II
- Sezione Aerea di Manovra della Guardia di Finanza di CataniaVolpe · Long-range customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW139
- 12º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di CataniaDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- 1ª Sezione Volo Elicotteri Guardia CostieraNemo · Coast Guard flight section · active
- Leonardo AW139
- 3ª Sezione Volo Elicotteri e Nucleo Aereo Guardia CostieraNemo · Coast Guard air base · active
- Leonardo AW139, ATR 42MP
- 5º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- Breda Nardi NH-500D
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di PescaraVolpe · Customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- 11º Reparto Volo della Polizia di StatoPolice flight unit · active
- Agusta-Bell AB-212, Leonardo AW139
- 4ª Sezione Volo Elicotteri Guardia CostieraNemo · Coast Guard flight section · active
- Leonardo AW139
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di VareseVolpe · Alpine customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW169M, Breda Nardi NH-500
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di ElmasVolpe · Customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW139
- 11º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- 3º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di BolzanoVolpe · Alpine customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di RietiDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Agusta-Bell AB-412, Leonardo AW139
- 16º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- Breda Nardi NH-500D
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di AlgheroDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- 2º Reparto Volo della Polizia di StatoPolice flight unit · active
- Agusta-Bell AB-212, Leonardo AW139
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di VareseDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- 7º Reparto Volo della Polizia di StatoPolice flight unit · active
- Agusta-Bell AB-212, Agusta-Bell AB-206
- Distaccamento elicotteri del Corpo forestale dello Stato—
- Erickson S-64F
- 6º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di BariVolpe · Customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW139
- 9º Reparto Volo della Polizia di StatoPolice flight unit · active
- Agusta-Bell AB-212
- Reparto Volo dei Vigili del Fuoco di BariDrago · Fire service flight unit · active
- Leonardo AW139, Agusta-Bell AB-412
- 15º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- AgustaWestland AW109N
- Distaccamento elicotteri del Corpo forestale dello Stato—
- Erickson S-64F
- 9º Nucleo Elicotteri CarabinieriPolice flight unit · active
- AgustaWestland AW109N, Leonardo AW119Kx
- Sezione Aerea della Guardia di Finanza di PalermoVolpe · Customs police flight section · active
- Leonardo AW169M
- 4º Reparto Volo della Polizia di StatoPolice flight unit · active
- Agusta-Bell AB-212
- Reparto Volo sperimentale dei Vigili del Fuoco di Palermo2017–2019
- Agusta-Bell AB-412
- Avincis Aviation Italia — Canadair seasonal baseContractor flight and maintenance organisation · contract
- Canadair CL-415
No unit matches that search.
Italian State Aviation milestones, 1914 to today
1 February: the Guardia di Finanza institutes the first Italian state air service. Its first two Agusta-Bell 47G helicopters forming the Corps’ first air section at Naples to spot smuggling boats. Its badge is a red fox on a yellow field.
The Carabinieri run their first officer observer course. Two years later the air force lends two AB-47G-2s and two crews for a trial detachment at Palermo-Boccadifalco, with a carabiniere aboard as airborne observer to keep radio contact with patrols on the ground.
25 March: the Arma orders four AB-47Js of its own, delivered from December. Crews begin training at the air force helicopter school at Frosinone and the specialist school at Caserta.
1 June: the Arma stands up its own air service — a Sezione Aerea at the Comando Generale and a Base Elicotteri at Pratica di Mare, with the existing Rome section and new detachments at Bolzano, Cagliari and Palermo. The base becomes the Centro Elicotteri in 1966, when Milan and Turin are added.
1 January: a ministerial decree creates the State Police air service, the first flight unit forming at Pratica di Mare with Agusta-Bell AB-47J-3s to watch the motorways. The second follows at Milan Malpensa in 1972.
The Corpo Forestale dello Stato sets up its Centro operativo aereo at Roma Urbe, with the call sign Eagle.
17 October: law 732 removes fire service aircraft from the national civil aircraft register. They are entered on a register kept by the interior ministry instead and take military-style codes: VF-181 rather than I-VFxx.
The Coast Guard’s air service is activated by bringing together the existing air and naval units of the Capitanerie di porto. The first helicopter flight unit follows at Sarzana-Luni in December 1991.
1 August: the Guardia di Finanza forms the II Gruppo aereo at Pratica di Mare with the first Piaggio P.166DL3, the Corps’ first fixed-wing unit. It becomes the Gruppo Esplorazione Aeromarittima on 1 January 2000.
The first Canadair CL-415 enter Italian service with the civil protection department, replacing the CL-215.
The Guardia di Finanza receives its first ATR 42-400MP, extending its patrol reach from the coast to the open Mediterranean.
18 March: Canadair I-DPCK crashes at Forte dei Marmi, killing both pilots. On 23 July 2007 I-DPCX goes down at Acciano in Abruzzo, killing its captain, Andrea Golfera; the co-pilot survives and returns to flying. Reporting afterwards centres on the extension of crew duty from 24 to 48 hours a week without the civil aviation authority’s agreement.
23 April: the nineteen state Canadairs pass from the civil protection department to the fire service department, following a decree in the Gazzetta Ufficiale of 22 April.
25 October: the Carabinieri stand up their forestry, environmental and agri-food command at the caserma Salvo D’Acquisto in Rome, ahead of the abolition of the Corpo Forestale dello Stato.
1 January: the Corpo Forestale ceases to exist. Its firefighting aircraft, including four Erickson S-64F, go to the Vigili del Fuoco along with the bases at Cecina and Rieti; eighteen AB-412EP, twelve NH-500, three AW109N and a P.180 go to the Carabinieri.
14 August: the Morandi viaduct collapses in Genoa. A Guardia di Finanza NH-500 from the Genoa section is airborne within minutes and makes the survey run used to reconstruct the event. In November the Corps orders 22 AW169M.
3 July: the fire service opens its fifteenth flight unit at Lamezia Terme, with a hangar large enough to maintain the Erickson S-64F fleet. The first AW139s arrive the same year.
The state air fleet for the peak of the fire season is nineteen Canadairs, five Air Cranes and ten helicopters from the armed forces, the fire service and the Carabinieri.
27 October: a Canadair is destroyed on the slopes of Etna above Linguaglossa and both pilots are killed. The same day, the Carabinieri order twenty AW119Kx.
22 July: an Erickson S-64F burns out on take-off at Reggio Calabria; both pilots escape. In December the State Police begin a single-type AW139 line, and in November the Coast Guard orders a fourth ATR 42 in the 600 series.
January: Avincis wins the seven-year Canadair contract at a base price of 479 million euros. 14 March: the Guardia di Finanza retires the AB-412. 18 July: the Coast Guard begins a fourteen-aircraft AW139 top-up. 22 December: the Consiglio di Stato annuls the Canadair tender. 31 December: the Carabinieri discharge the AB-412.
A patched contract, fifteen Canadairs on the line, and the worst fire year since 2007: 95,345 hectares by 26 August, nearly double the twenty-year average, with 49,835 hectares in the week of 22 July alone. Italy’s water-bomber replacement programme remains two aircraft, due in 2029 and 2030.
Italian State Aviation news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Italian State Aviation and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Italian State Aviation
Is Italian state aviation an air force?
Who owns Italy’s Canadair water bombers?
So who actually flies them?
How many Canadairs does Italy have?
Has the Italian firefighting fleet grown or shrunk?
Would more Canadairs solve Italy’s fire problem?
What happened to the Corpo Forestale dello Stato?
Why do the Carabinieri have an air service at all if they are part of the army’s tradition?
What does the Guardia di Finanza fly?
What is the difference between the Guardia Costiera and the Guardia di Finanza at sea?
Who does aerial firefighting in Italy: the fire service or the regions?
Why was the Canadair contract cancelled in 2026?
How bad was the summer of 2026?
Do these services ever operate outside Italy?
Which of these aircraft could a member of the public ever fly in?
Why did the AB-412 disappear from all of these services at once?
Every fact, checked
- Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco: Canadairofficial: a fleet of 18 CL-415, 2,427 km range, 376 km/h, 6,137 litres; permanent bases at Genoa, Rome and Lamezia Terme; deployment decided by the COAU
- Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco: Ericksonofficial: S-64 carries about 10,030 litres and lifts over 4,000 kg to 3,000 metres; coordinated by the COAU
- Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco: Reparti Voloofficial: helicopters assigned to the Centro aviazione at Ciampino and fifteen further flight units; four types in use
- Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuoco: Ufficio di coordinamento del servizio aereo e del soccorso aeroportualeofficial: head Ing. Franco Feliziani; runs the Centro Aviazione at Ciampino, the SOCAV operations room and the three subordinate fleet offices
- Eros Mannino, capo del Corpo nazionale dei vigili del fuocoappointment announced 26 November 2024, in post from 1 December 2024
- Egidio Ferrighi, "La componente aerea dei Vigili del Fuoco", VMASthe fullest published account of the fire service air organisation: the eleven pre-2017 units, Cecina and Rieti from the Forestale, Lamezia Terme on 3 July 2019, law 732/1986 and the VF register, the Avincis and European Air Cranes contracts, the Genoa HETMS and the autonomous Trento unit
- Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 94 del 22 aprile 2013the transfer of the state firefighting aeroplane fleet, nineteen CL-415, from the civil protection department to the fire service department, effective 23 April 2013
- Campagna antincendio boschivo 2026, Dipartimento della Protezione Civilecampaign 15 June to 15 October 2026; peak period 1 July to 5 September with 15 CL-415 and 4 S-64F plus nine armed forces and Carabinieri helicopters; the sixteen deployment bases; the COAU request chain
- "Canadair CL-415: tutto quello che c’è da sapere", Il Pompierethe 2021 campaign fleet for comparison: 19 CL-415, 5 S-64F and ten more helicopters; Babcock Italia managing 19 aircraft with the main base at Ciampino
- "Avincis si aggiudica la gara per la gestione della flotta di Canadair in Italia", Ares Difesa20 January 2025: seven-year contract, 18 CL-415 owned by the fire service, three permanent and three seasonal bases, 250 staff including over 100 pilots, maintenance at Ciampino, Lamezia, Genoa, Olbia, Trapani and Naples, rescEU 24-hour deployment
- "Canadair antincendio, l’Italia rinnova il contratto con Avincis", PanoramaSergio Barlocchetti, 20 January 2025; quotes Roberto Marcolini of Avincis Italia and the twelve rescEU amphibians for six countries
- Consiglio di Stato, sez. V, 22 dicembre 2025, n. 10160 (De Iustitia)base price 479,174,759.22 euros; appeal by AIR SP&A; TAR Lazio 5923 of 24 March 2025 rejected at first instance; single-lot reasoning insufficient on quantitative and territorial lots; three permanent bases in Liguria, Lazio and Calabria; procedure annulled
- Regione Autonoma della Sardegna: "Flotta Canadair, la Laconi scrive al Ministro dell’Interno"29 April 2026: formal request for clarity after ruling 10160/2025, with the Olbia base described as essential and not substitutable
- "Il Ministero dell’Interno conferma la flotta aerea per la campagna AIB 2026"provision 39 of 23 January 2026 integrating the earlier act; ministry says the service will not be interrupted and the 2026 fleet will match 2025
- Luigi Torreggiani, interview with Vittorio Leone, L’AltraMontagna31 August 2026: 18 Italian CL-415 with 15 operational in rotation in 2026; two DHC-515 ordered for 2029 and 2030 at about 99 million euros; 225 Canadairs built and 170 still flying; effectiveness limited to 3,000–5,000 kW/m against extreme fires above 10,000 kW/m
- "In Italia sono stati bruciati 95mila ettari nel 2026", Geopop2 September 2026, using EFFIS and ISPRA: 95,345 ha to 26 August against a 48,758 ha average; 49,835 ha in the week of 22 July; 2025 total 96,539 ha; record 146,017 ha in 2007; Sicily 510 of 741 km²; two fire service deaths
- "Canadair si schianta sull’Etna: morti i due piloti", il Giornale27 October 2022, Linguaglossa: both pilots killed; Salvo Cocina of Sicilian civil protection describes the crew as flying for the contractor Babcock
- "Si incendia elicottero Vigili del fuoco, i piloti stanno bene", ANSA22 July 2024, Reggio Calabria: Erickson caught fire on take-off, crew evacuated, helicopter rolled over and was destroyed; probable engine failure
- La Nuova Sardegna: the death of Pietro Isola at Lago del Temo20 July 2026: rescue swimmer of the Alghero flight unit taken ill during a training exercise and died at Sassari
- Giovanni Padovani, "AB-412, l’Arma dei Carabinieri saluta il suo iconico multiruolo", Hangar Digitale7 May 2026: 34 bought new from 1984 plus five AB-412EP from the Corpo Forestale in 2017; final discharge 31 December 2025; Wescam turret, Nightsun, Elivideo downlink, fast rope, hoist
- Leonardo press release: 20 AW119Kx for the Carabinieri27 October 2022: twenty aircraft assembled at Vergiate, deliveries 2023–26, eighteen bases, Garmin G1000H, electro-optical turret, hyperspectral sensor, firefighting bucket on civil protection request; local designation RH-119A
- "AW169M — un altro elemento nella trasformazione 4.0 dell’Arma", Difesa Magazine19 January 2024: sixth AW169M handed over at Vergiate to Comandante Generale Teo Luzi; the air service is a Raggruppamento, a Gruppo Volo and sixteen Nuclei Elicotteri
- "Undici elicotteri multiruolo leggeri per l’Arma dei Carabinieri", Ares Difesa18 November 2021: the LUH programme, eleven AW169M with an option for five more, 246 million euros over 2021–34 of which 221 million on the defence investment budget
- Guardia di Finanza: Servizio Aereoofficial: the list of air sections and manoeuvre sections, the GEA, and the 70th anniversary of the service
- "Last flight Guardia di Finanza AB412HP", Scramble14 March 2025: the end of the AB-412 in Guardia di Finanza service after 18 AB-412HP and four HH-412C from 1993. Used for the date only
- "La Guardia di Finanza acquista un P.180 Avanti EVO", Analisi Difesa4 September 2025: one P.180 Avanti EVO ordered, alongside the two Avanti II in service since 27 February 2007
- Guardia Costiera: Mezzi aereiofficial: 16 AW139 and a fixed-wing force the page describes as four aircraft while listing three ATR 42MP and three P.180 Avanti II — an internal contradiction on the service’s own site
- Guardia Costiera: Agusta Westland 139official: current strength 16 aircraft, call sign Nemo, crew of two pilots, a systems operator and a rescue swimmer; four-axis autopilot, SAR modes, NVG compatibility, FLIR, 272 kg hoist
- Guardia Costiera: Basi Aeromobiliofficial: Sarzana from December 1991 with four AW139; Catania with seven AW139, two ATR 42MP and a P.180; Pescara, 3º Nucleo Aereo from July 1990 and helicopter section from 21 January 2016; Decimomannu from 17 July 2018
- Guardia Costiera: "La Guardia Costiera potenzia la componente aerea"18 July 2025 at Vergiate: AW139 Nemo 11-19, first of fourteen new machines taking the fleet to 18; a new ATR 42-600 Maritime Patrol; remotely piloted aircraft funded from the national recovery plan
- "Polizia di Stato: consegnati ai Reparti Volo di Bologna e Napoli gli elicotteri AW139", Report Difesa9 December 2024: two AW139 delivered, working towards a single national line of fifteen aircraft
- AB Aviation Reporter: "Polizia di Stato — 3º Reparto Volo Bologna"unit history and maintenance detail: the growth of the eleven flight units from 1971 to 1993, the CASV flying school of 1988, the in-house 1,200-hour AB-212 inspections of 2014 and 2016 and the estimated 1.5 million euro saving
- OurAirports: Italian airport and runway datacoordinates, elevations and runway dimensions. Not AIP Italia: ENAV’s AIP could not be reached from here, and these figures agree with the data used for the sibling Italian datasets
Figures verified 2026-09-19. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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