2nd Army Aviation Regiment &quot;Sirio&quot;2nd Army Aviation Regiment &quot;Sirio&quot; 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" () is an active unit of the Italian Army based at Lamezia Terme Airport in Calabria. The regiment is part of the Italian army's army aviation and operationally assigned to the Army Aviation Brigade. History. Formation. On 1 October 1996 the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" and the 12th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Gru" were raised at Lamezia Terme Airport and placed under command of the Army Aviation Inspectorate. The regiment received the 20th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Andromeda" based at Pontecagnano Airport on the same day. At its  formation the regiment was structured as follows: Naming. Since the 1975 Army reform Italian army aviation units are named for celestial objects: regiments are numbered with a single digit and named for stars in the 88 modern constellationss. Accordingly, an army aviation regiment's coat of arms highlights the name-giving star within its constellation. Squadron groups were numbered with two digits and named for constellations, or planets of the Solar System. The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment was named for Sirius () the brightest star in the Canis Major constellation. In fall 1996 the President of the Italian Republic Oscar Luigi  Scalfaro granted the regiment a newly created war flag, which today is decorated with one Silver Medal of Army Valour awarded to the then autonomous 20th Light Airplanes and Helicopters Squadrons Group "Andromeda" for its service after the 1980 Irpinia earthquake. Events. On 1 October 1997 the 30th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Pegaso" based at Fontanarossa Airport in Sicily entered the regiment and began its move from Fontanarossa to Lamezia Terme. On 30 April 1998 the 12th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Gru" based at Lamezia Terme was disbanded and its personnel and equipment integrated into the newly arrived 30th Army  Aviation Squadrons Group "Pegaso". On 15 November 2000 the regiment entered the Air Cavalry Grouping, which on 1 March 2006 became the Army Aviation Brigade. On 3 April 2001 the 21st Squadrons Group "Orsa Maggiore", at Elmas Airport in Sardinia entered the regiment and in fall 2002 the 20th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Andromeda" was disbanded. Current Structure. As of 2019 the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" consists of: Equipment. The 21st Squadrons Group "Orsa Maggiore" is equipped with AB 412 helicopters, while the 30th Squadrons Group "Pegaso" is equipped with AB 412 and AB 212 helicopters. The Italian Army  plans to replace both types with AW169MA helicopters from 2023. 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" () is an active unit of the Italian Army based at Lamezia Terme Airport in Calabria. The regiment is part of the Italian army's army aviation and operationally assigned to the Army Aviation Brigade. History. Formation. On 1 October 1996 the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" and the 12th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Gru" were raised at Lamezia Terme Airport and placed under command of the Army Aviation Inspectorate. The regiment received the 20th Army Aviation Squadrons Group "Andromeda