Troops from the Italian Army’s elite Savoia Cavalleria Regiment, have joined forces with their British counterparts for exercise ITALIAN STALLION.
According to a British Army press release, the Italian troops joined the Household Cavalry Regiment to take part in the appropriately named exercise ‘Italian Stallion’, the title reflecting the unit’s prancing white rampant horse which they proudly display on their shoulders.
36 of the Parachute trained soldiers jumped from an Italian Air Force C130 Hercules aircraft from a height of 300 metres onto the Coy Drop Zone in the heart of Stanford Training Area in Norfolk. The Savoia Cavalleria Regiment forms part of the Folgore Para Brigade, a major component of the Joint Rapid Response Force that is held at high readiness to deploy at very short notice on operations both abroad and on mainland Europe.
Flying direct from their base near Pisa the troops combined with the British troops of A Squadron, The Household Cavalry Regiment to embark on the six-day exercise which will see them being tested in dismounted reconnaissance skills and FIBUA (fighting in built-up areas) tactics.
Having just unharnessed himself from his parachute on the edge of the drop zone Captain Fabrizio Giannuzzi explained:
“This is the first time we have ever jumped into England and we are now ready to start our exercise, the flight took 3 hours it is a very particular drop zone, but it has been a really really amazing jump!”
PRESS RELEASE ENDS
