Friuli Air Assault Brigade The " Friuli " Air Assault Brigade was an Air Assault brigade of the Italian Army , based mainly in the north - east of the country . The brigade was part of the 1st Defence Forces Command until it was merged with the " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Cavalry Brigade in fall of 2013 . History . The " Friuli " Infantry Brigade was formed on 1 November 1884 , in Milan and consisted of the 87th Infantry Regiment " Friuli " and the 88th Infantry Regiment " Friuli " . At the outbreak of hostilities between Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire in 1915 the " Friuli " along with the " Cremona " Brigade formed the 16th Division of the Line . The brigade fought bravely in World War I but was dissolved after the war on 28 December 1926 . World War II . The 20th Infantry Division " Friuli " was formed on 24 August 1939 by renaming the existing 20th Infantry Division " Curtatone e Montanara " in Livorno . The division was immediately split to create the 44th Infantry Division " Cremona " , but it retained its traditional regiments : the 87th and 88th infantry regiments . After the armistice between Italy and the Allies on 3 September 1943 the " Friuli " fought on the allied side as part of the Italian Co - Belligerent Army . Cold War . After World War II the division was the only division of the IV Military Territorial Command and based in the city of Bolzano . In 1949 the division moved to Florence were it joined the VII Military Territorial Command . There the division was augmented with the 78th Infantry Regiment " Lupi di Toscana " , 8th Field Artillery Regiment and 3rd Light Anti - Air Artillery Regiment . Later the 3rd Light Anti - Air Artillery Regiment was replaced by the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment " Piemonte Cavalleria " . In September 1956 the " Friuli " and the " Trieste " Motorised Infantry Division entered the newly raised VI Army Corps . On 15 April 1960 , the " Friuli " Infantry Division was reduced to brigade , losing all its traditional regiments . The brigade was headquartered in Florence and most of its units stationed in the surrounding region of Tuscany . By 1964 the structure of the Infantry Brigade " Friuli " was : With the abolishment of the regimental level in Italy on 23 September 1975 , the brigade changed name and became the Motorized Brigade " Friuli " . The new structure was : On 1 January 1986 , the " Friuli " Brigade and the " Folgore " Parachute Brigade , in conjunction with some units of the Army ' s Light Army Aviation and the Navy ' s San Marco Regiment , became the Rapid Intervention Forces of the Italian Military , deployable on short notice for out of area missions . After the end of the Cold War and the subsequent reduction of the Italian Army the " Friuli " merged on 1 June 1991 with the " Trieste " Mechanized Brigade . Although the new brigade was named " Friuli " Mechanized Brigade , it was headquartered in Bologna in the HQ building of the " Trieste " brigade . Before the merger the 87th Motorized Infantry Battalion " Senio " had been disbanded on 31 January 1991 and the 35th Field Artillery Group " Riolo " and 19th Armored Battalion on 6 May 1991 . After the reintroduction of the regimental level in 1992 the brigade was then composed of the following units as of 1 January 1993 : Today . During the late 1990ties the brigade was reorganized to become Italy ' s first and only Air Assault Brigade . The 33rd Tank and 121st Infantry regiments were dissolved ; the 21st Self - propelled Artillery Regiment was transferred to the " Pinerolo " Armored Brigade in Southern Italy . In 1995 the brigade received the 4th Army Corps ' 3rd Cavalry Regiment " Savoia Cavalleria " , which was transferred from Meran in South Tyrol to Grosseto in Tuscany . On 5 September of the same year the 78th Infantry Regiment " Lupi di Toscana " left the brigade to become a basic training regiment . On 1 January 1999 , the 7th Army Aviation Regiment " Vega " and on 1 May 2000 , the 5th Army Aviation Regiment " Rigel " were transferred to the brigade , which on the second date changed its name to " Friuli " Air Assault Brigade . On 27 June 2001 the " Friuli " Logistic Battalion became the 6th Transport Regiment and was transferred to the Logistic Projection Brigade . On 1 January 2005 , the 6th Bersaglieri Regiment was transferred to the " Aosta " Mechanized Brigade on Sicily . 2013 Reform . During the 2013 reform the " Friuli " ceded the 3rd Cavalry Regiment " Savoia Cavalleria " to the " Folgore " Parachute Brigade . In turn the " Friuli " received the remnants of the " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Cavalry Brigade : adding the Lagunari Amphibious Assault Infantry Regiment " Serenissima " , the Horse Artillery Regiment " Volòire " and the 3rd Engineer Regiment to the new brigade . Furthermore from the disbanded Logistic Projection Command the 6th Transport Regiment was transferred to the brigade and became the " Friuli " Logistic Regiment . After the " Friuli " brigade had ceded its name and traditions on 16 July 2013 to the " Friuli " Division Command in Florence , the Italian Army General Staff announced that after the disbandment of the staff and command battalion of the " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Cavalry Brigade were completed in fall of 2013 , the name and traditions of the " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Cavalry Brigade would pass to the former " Friuli " Air Assault Brigade . Thus in January 2014 the brigade officially received its new name : " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Brigade . On 16 July 2013 , when the " Friuli " brigade transferred its name to the " Friuli " Division Command the structure of the brigade was as follows : All regiment s were battalion sized . Equipment . The " Trieste " infantry regiment was equipped with Puma 6x6 armored personnel carriers . The regiments mortar company was equipped with 120mm mortars , while the anti - tank company fielded Spike anti - tank guided missile systems . The Lagunari regiment was equipped with AAV7 - A1 amphibious assault vehicles and Puma 4x4 ; the regiments mortar company and anti - tank company were identical to the mortar and anti - tank company of the " Trieste " . The " Rigel " aviation regiment fielded six A129 " Mangusta " attack helicopter and one AB 205A - 1 utility helicopter squadron . The " Vega " aviation regiment fielded two A129 " Mangusta " attack helicopter , three AB 205A - 1 utility helicopter , three AB 412 utility transport helicopter and a mixed A129 " Mangusta " and A109A EOA reconnaissance helicopter squadron . The artillery regiment of the brigade fielded FH - 70 towed howitzers . See also . 20 Infantry Division Friuli