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Italy Prepares Mangusta Attack Helicopters to Support Modular Armored Groups in High-Tempo Drill.
The Italian Army’s 132nd Tank Regiment wrapped a two-week Demetra 2/25 exercise at the Cellina-Meduna range, integrating A-129 Mangusta attack helicopters from 5th AVES Rigel with modular armored groups. Officials framed the event as a readiness check for the Ariete brigade team and a signal that Italy is training for fast, combined-arms fights alongside NATO.
The Italian Army has announced that the Armored Brigade Ariete successfully completed the two-week exercise Demetra 2/25 at the Cellina-Meduna training area, as reported by COMFOTER on 29 October 2025. The activity was primarily intended to confirm the readiness of the 132nd Tank Regiment for the maintenance of Tier 2 status and to assess the brigade’s ability to conduct combined-arms operations in dynamic and complex, warlike environments in line with current NATO requirements. Structured in two consecutive phases, the exercise reflected the Army’s approach whereby modern land operations are won as much through planning, integration and command-and-control as through firepower on the ground.
The exercise featured Ariete main battle tanks, Centauro wheeled gun systems, and Dardo infantry fighting vehicles operating in coordinated formations to demonstrate Italy’s modular land combat capability (Picture Source: Italian MoD)
The first phase focused on planning, mission analysis and the synchronisation of effects, with brigade staff going through the full combat preparation cycle: intelligence updates, terrain and threat assessment, task organisation, fire support planning and the integration of aviation assets. This staff work was essential to ensure that combat, combat support and combat service support elements could operate under a single concept of operations, which is a key prerequisite for maintaining Tier 2 readiness. The second phase translated this planning into action through complex, realistic tactical scenarios modelled on high-threat warfare rather than on crisis-response situations, in order to test command agility and the capacity to fight as a coherent formation.
Operationally, the exercise involved a platoon from the 132nd Tank Regiment equipped with Ariete main battle tanks, an artillery section from the 132nd Ariete Land Artillery Regiment, a platoon from the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment, a reconnaissance platoon from the 5th Regiment Lancieri di Novara, as well as elements from the Ariete Logistics Regiment and the 10th Engineer Regiment. On the ground, several key Italian Army platforms were employed, including the VCC-80 Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro wheeled gun system engaged in live firing, and engineer vehicles used for breaching minefields, demonstrating a modular combined-arms approach suitable for both open and semi-urban terrain of the type expected in Central and Eastern Europe. The wide participation confirmed that the objective was not limited to gunnery but to validating multi-branch cohesion at operational tempo.
A decisive contribution came from the third dimension. The 5th AVES Regiment Rigel deployed two A-129 Mangusta attack helicopters tasked with reconnaissance, target acquisition and advanced observation. Operating in close coordination with armoured and mechanised elements, the helicopters extended the brigade’s sensor reach and enabled more accurate employment of fires, while also allowing the unit to rehearse air–land coordination procedures that are increasingly critical in environments characterised by dispersed threats, drones, long-range fires and the need for rapid target hand-off. The scenarios further compelled the command element to re-task forces, secure flanks, maintain communications on the move and sustain operations through engineering and logistical support, thereby validating the enablers without which tanks and IFVs cannot remain in the fight.
Demetra 2/25 was more than a routine range event; it was a comprehensive verification of operational readiness, combined-arms integration and the ability of the Ariete Armored Brigade to fight as a single, integrated system with aviation support. By confirming in 2025 the Tier 2 level of the 132nd Tank Regiment, Italy signals its intention to keep a rapidly employable armoured component available to support Alliance plans on both the eastern and southern fronts, at a time when European defence planning is centred on readiness, dispersion and interoperability. The message from Cellina-Meduna is clear: Italian armoured forces are not only trained to fire, they are organised, commanded and supported to fight in high-intensity, multi-domain environments.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.