Italy Deploys Mangusta Attack Helicopters in Modular Armored Group Drill

The Italian Army is leveraging its AW129D Mangusta attack helicopters to support modular armored formations during a recent high-tempo exercise aimed at validating rapid maneuver and combined arms tactics. The drill highlights the evolving role of rotary-wing assets in supporting expeditionary mechanized forces within NATO’s southern flank.

Modular Armored Groups: A New Operational Concept

The Italian Army has been refining its “Gruppo Tattico Corazzato Modulare” (Modular Armored Tactical Group) concept since at least 2022. These formations are designed for rapid deployment and high readiness as part of Italy’s commitment to NATO’s Joint Rapid Reaction Force. Composed of a flexible mix of tracked and wheeled platforms—typically including Centauro II 120mm mobile gun systems, Dardo IFVs, VTLM Lince light vehicles, and Ariete MBTs—the modular groups are optimized for expeditionary combat across varied terrain.

These units emphasize interoperability and speed over massed armor. Their doctrinal evolution reflects lessons from recent conflicts where mobility, ISR integration, and precision fires have outpaced traditional heavy armor-centric tactics. The current exercise underscores the need for air-ground coordination in these highly mobile formations.

Mangusta AW129D: Rotary-Wing Firepower

The AgustaWestland AW129D Mangusta is the latest variant of Italy’s long-serving attack helicopter platform. Originally introduced in the late 1980s as the first dedicated European attack helicopter, the AW129 has undergone multiple upgrades to keep pace with evolving threats. The ‘Delta’ configuration features improved avionics (including night vision-compatible cockpit), upgraded sensors (such as Rafael Toplite III EO/IR system), Link-16 datalink integration for networked warfare, and compatibility with Spike-ER anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

During the October drill near Lecce in southern Italy—conducted by the Airmobile Brigade “Friuli”—the AW129Ds provided close air support (CAS), armed reconnaissance, and deep strike capabilities against simulated enemy armor columns. The helicopters operated alongside ground elements from the Cavalry Brigade “Pozzuolo del Friuli,” integrating via C4I systems to deliver timely fires on moving targets.

Joint Maneuver and C4ISR Integration

A key focus of the exercise was seamless command-and-control between air and ground components. Italian defense officials emphasized that real-time target acquisition from forward observers was relayed via tactical datalinks to both artillery units and Mangusta crews. This enabled synchronized fires against time-sensitive targets such as enemy armor concentrations or mobile command posts.

In addition to kinetic actions, electronic warfare cells supported by EW-equipped UAVs simulated jamming hostile communications while enabling friendly force maneuver under contested spectrum conditions—a nod to modern multi-domain operations doctrine.

Operational Lessons from Ukraine Influence Doctrine

The Italian Army’s emphasis on modularity and air-ground integration reflects broader NATO doctrinal shifts influenced by lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield experience. In particular:

The vulnerability of static armored columns without ISR overwatch or air support;
The importance of distributed formations with organic anti-tank capability;
The need for agile logistics chains supported by rotary-wing lift;
Integration of drones for target acquisition and BDA (battle damage assessment);
Real-time digital fire coordination across domains.

Italian officials have publicly stated that future iterations of these exercises will include more extensive use of UAS swarms for reconnaissance cueing Mangustas or artillery batteries—a tactic increasingly seen in Ukrainian operations.

Modernization Pathway Ahead

While effective today, the AW129D is nearing obsolescence compared to newer platforms like AH-64E Apache or T129 ATAK Phase-II. Leonardo Helicopters is currently developing its successor under the NEES (Nuovo Elicottero da Esplorazione e Scorta) program—an effort aligned with NATO’s Future Vertical Lift initiatives.

The NEES platform will likely feature enhanced survivability against MANPADS threats via DIRCM systems, greater range/payload via new engines (possibly Safran Aneto or GE CT7 derivatives), modular open architecture avionics compliant with STANAG standards, AI-assisted targeting systems using fused EO/IR/SAR inputs—and full compatibility with next-gen ATGMs like Spike-NLOS or MBDA Enforcer variants.