1° Reggimento Forze Speciali (Esploratori)
| 1° Reggimento Forze Speciali | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1942 - present |
| Country |  Luminerra |
| Branch | Lumenic Air Force |
| Type | Special operations |
| Role | Pathfinders, air traffic control, forward air control to direct close air support for ground forces. |
| Insignia | |
| Beret badge | |
The 1° Reggimento Forze Speciali (Esploratori) (English: 1st Special Forces Regiment (Pathfinders)), often simply referred to as "Esploratori", are an Lumenic Air Force special operations capable ground force specializing in traditional pathfinder roles while also being specially trained in battlefield air traffic and forward air control to direct close air support in support of ground forces as well as directing airstrikes against point and area targets in both covert and conventional battlefield environments. Esploratori are often work in conjunction with special forces, airborne or air assault forces of the Lumenic Army to provide expert air support coordination and communications capabilities. All members of the Esploratori are certified air traffic controllers and must maintain this certification through their career, and are also trained to direct other types of fire support, including gun and rocket artillery from land or sea based platforms.
Currently there is a single Esploratori regiment. Although a regiment on paper for traditionally and organizational reasons, members of the Esploratori are deployed as a single Special Tactics Team (Lumenic: Squadra Tattica Speciale) consisting of members dedicated to combat air control, pararescue, special operations reconnaissance, and combat communication controllers and these STS units may be paread, in part or as a whole, across formations within the Lumenic Army, Air Force, or Armada
History
The first Esploratori company was stood up in 1942
Training
Esploratori training is some of the most rigorous in the entire Lumenic Legion and has one of the highest washout rates of any special forces selection course. All Esploratori initiates must complete a two week selection course that focuses on physical and psychological performance, as well as covering basic FAC and pathfinding skills. Selection courses are conducted at Cetta Royal Air Force Base. All enlisted applicants for the Esploratori training must have obtained the rank of A-3 in their respective branch. Commissioned officers may apply at the rank of C-2. all applicants, regardless of rank or service branch, must agree to a ten year extension on their contract following completion of Esploratori training.
Following selection, trainees will attend the Army Infantry School for a advanced special operations infantry training course, even if they have previously attended the Army Infantry Training School. This training typically lasts between 6 months and one year. Trainees will undergo comprehensive and advanced training on weapons, demolition training, advanced surveillance and reconnaissance – to include multi-domain electronic warfare, small unmanned aircraft systems, long-range marksmanship, all-terrain vehicles, maritime operations, and alternate infiltration/exfiltration tactics, techniques, and procedures. Following completion of the ASOIT course, candidates must complete an abbreviated three-week airborne training course at Royal Army's Airborne Warfare School at Fort Scalzo in Pasa. Candidates will become familiar with basic parachute and static line insertion techniques.
Following completion of airborne training, candidates will remain at Fort Scalzo to complete an a second three week Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training course. This course focuses on techniques for survival in remote areas, evasion techniques while inside hostile territory and resistance to interrogation and torture if captured by the enemy. It is during this phase of the training that the majority of the dropouts occur.
The last course in the Esploratori training curriculum deals is 10 weeks and confers the final qualifications upon the candidates. Physical training is maintained, and candidates are drilled in small units tactics and land navigation techniques and devices from traditional maps to the use of the handheld Dachaidh satellite navigation systems. Trainees are trained in the methodology and procedures for requesting and direction fire support elements, including strikes from gun and rocket artillery, cruise missiles and fixed or rotary wing aircraft.
Following the completion of general Esploratori training, a trainee will enter into one of three specialized courses; pararescue, combat control, or special reconnaissance.
Pararescue training
Pararescuemen will return to Fort Scalzo to take more intensive parachute training to learn mroe advanced parachute techniques. This course instructs free fall parachuting (HALO) using a high performance parafoil. The course provides wind tunnel training, in-air instruction focusing on student stability, aerial maneuvers, air sense and parachute opening procedures. Each student undertakes a minimum of 30 free fall jumps including two day and two night jumps with supplemental oxygen, rucksack and load-bearing equipment.
Pararescuemen will also be required to complete the Lumenic Armada's Diving course. The course is divided into four blocks of instruction: Diving Theory, Infiltration/Exfiltration Methods, Open Circuit Diving Operations, and Closed Circuit Diving Operations. The primary focus of the course is to provide the trainees the necessary material to make them competent, capable and safe combat divers/swimmers. Diver training is provided through classroom instruction, extensive physical training, surface and sub-surface water confidence pool exercises, pool familiarization dives, day/night tactical open water surface/sub-surface infiltration swims, open/closed circuit diving procedures and underwater search and recovery procedures. The session culminates with a waterborne field training exercise.
Lastly, although prior medical background is desired for trainees completing the Pararescue career path, all pararescue trainees will attend a Pararescue EMT-Paramedic Course. This course teaches how to manage trauma patients prior to evacuation and provide emergency medical treatment. Phase I is seven weeks of emergency medical technician basic (EMT-B) training. Phase II (EMT-P) lasts 30 weeks and provides advanced medical training and instruction in minor field surgery, pharmacology, combat trauma management, advanced airway management, and military evacuation procedures. Graduates of the course are awarded Royal Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians-Paramedic certification.
The final course acts as a refresher for previous training and is the culmination of approximately two years of pararescue training. This course includes field medical care and tactics, mountaineering, shooting, combat tactics, advanced parachuting, and helicopter insertion/extraction qualifications.
Combat Control training
Following selection, initiates undergo a 16 week training course conducted at Cetta Royal Air Force Base. Training focus on combat and civilian aircraft recognition and familiarization with performance and characteristics, aerial navigation and navigational aids, basic meteorology, communications, approach, and radar procedures. In addition, trainees receive their air traffic control certification during this phase of the course.
Special Reconnaissance Training
During the Special Reconnaissance course, candidates will gain experience in reconnaissance, surveillance, long-range precision engagement and target interdiction, and combat enabling tasks. Other skills will include demolition, communication and signalling, human intelligence gathering, operational preparation of the environment and tactical cyber applications.
Operations
Operation Steadfast Resolve
In 2014, a magnitude 6.8 M earthquake struck the island nation of Rocha Sur. The epicenter was near the town of Grolos, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Lestelle, the Rochan capital. Aftershocks measuring 4.7 M or greater we're felt for the following three weeks, and it is estimated that a total of 3.7 million people were effected by the earthquake, with the death toll being estimated at over 100,000, with over 250,000 residences and 41,000 commercial buildings confirmed to have collapsed or been severely damaged. The Patrian Legion responded to the earthquake to provide support and humanitarian assistance within 6 hours of the earthquake, with the Notreceauen aircraft carrier <> taking up station off the coast of Rocha Sur within 36 hours, assuming overall command of the relief operations and using its helicopters and embarked marines to provide relief supplies, medical assistance, and assisting in evacuation and search and rescue efforts.
A Lumenic Special Tactics Team, the 104th Squadra Tattica Speciale, was dispatched from Fort Balestra to assist with air traffic control operations. The nearest airport, the King Carlos II International Airport, located outside of Lestelle, was the closest airfield to the areas most effected by the disaster, but had been damaged in the earthquake, with its main terminal building being collapses, and its control tower severally damaged and unusable. Further, one of the airport's two runways was damaged and unusable, and over two dozen commercial aircraft were stranded on the tarmac, with no fight control facilities to assist them in departing from the area. The 104STS, commanded by Capitano Diego Branca, arrived just 17 hours after the earthquake aboard an Lumenic Air Force OE-78 Lince deployed from the NA Fiore Rocco. While the combat control personnel were dispatched to King Carlos II International Airport to begin co-ordinating relief flights, the remaining members of the 104STS went into action assisting in casuality evacuation, search and rescue, and generals relief co-oridnation.
Lacking any actual facilities to coordinate from, the combat control personal of 104STS, under the command of Sergente Primo Ilenia Capone, set up their equipment atop several card tables in a half demolished maintenance hanger and began directing stranded aircraft out of the airfield and bringing in logistical flights from Luminerra, Notreceau, and Costa Mejis loaded with more relief workers, as well as supplies for Rochan civilians effected by the disaster. Within two hours of their arrival, the combat control team and established an air traffic control schedule allowing for an aircraft to land or depart from King Carlos II International Airport's single runway every 7 minutes, and was recognized for orchestrating the largest single-runway operation in history. Over the 18 days Capone's team was stationed in Rocha Sur, they coordinated the delivery of over 6 million pounds of supplies and managed over 4,500 flights into and out of the country. In addition, Sergente Primo Capone and her team ordinated four remote airdrop zones to bring relief supplies to populations concentrations that had been cut off from overland travel with the capital, delivering over 14,000 packaged meals and bottles of water. In addition, flights in and out of two causality evacuation points allowed from the removal of over 1500 critically injured persons to hospitals less affected by the earthquake or to the medical facilities of the assembled naval vessels offshore.
For their efforts, the entire 104STS was awarded a citation for merritt as a unit, with each individual member receiving the Humanitarian Service Award. Sergente Primo Ilenia Capone received the Air Force Distinguished Service Award for coordinating her team's efforts to bring relief supplies into the country and several other members of the team were individually recognized for actions.
Organization
The 1° Reggimento Forze Speciali is organized as a regiment for the purposes of tradition and organizational necessity. In practice, the regiment will never deploy as a line battalion. Instead, the personnel assigned to the 1° Reggimento Forze Speciali are divided into Special Tactics Teams, which can vary in size, but usually include about 12-24 personnel. In reality, the 1° Reggimento Forze Speciali is approximately the size of a single overstrength battalion, with its constituent units being generally the size of a reinforced platoon.
A typical Special Tactics Team consists of;
- A commanding officer, usually a Capitano or Maggiore, whose role is to oversee the team and organize its integration into the units the STS has been attached to. To be selected to command a Special Tactics Team, an officer must be from one of the three career paths within the Esploratori; Pararescue, Combat Control or Special Reconnaissance.
- A NCOIC, usually a Sergente Maggiore but sometimes a Maresciallo Terza. The NCOIC of the Special Tactics Team serves as the commanders aide and adjutant.
- 4-6 qualified Pararescue personnel. These pararescuemen will operate in conjunction with dedicated combat search and rescue personnel to provide specialized search and rescue capability for special forces teams.
- 8-12 qualified Combat Control specialists. These combat controllers will utilize a variety of equipment to coordinate fire support for special forces units;, including direction both gun and rocket artillery strikes, as well as acting as forward air controllers to direct airstrikes in support of friendly forces. In addition, combat controllers may also provide command, control, and communications in covert, forward, or austere environments.
- 12-24 qualified special reconnaissance personnel whose mission is to deploy by the most feasible means available into combat and non-permissive environments to collect and interpret meteorological data and provide air and ground forces commanders with timely, accurate intelligence. They collect data, assist mission planning, generate accurate and mission-tailored target and route forecasts in support of global special operations, conduct special weather reconnaissance and train foreign national forces.
Special Tactics Teams may be deployed as a unit for direct action applications for highly sensitive missions. Or, these personnel may be dispersed to special forces or line infantry units to provide their expertise during missions.
Every capital warship of the Lumenic Armada has a Special Tactics Team aboard for direct action applications, pre-landing reconnaissance, fire direction or to support the vessel's Naval Infantry contingent. STTs are also assigned to vessels of any size on an as needed basis to assist in conducting special operations.
List of Lumenic Air Force Special Tactics Teams
| Squadron | Location | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| 100th Special Tactics Team (100STS) | Attached to the 1° Brigata Alpinisti "Stella Alpina" | |
| 101st Special Tactics Team (101STS) 105th Special Tactics Team (105STS) |
Attached to the 1° Reggimento Cacciatori "Cane Lupo" | The 101STT is directly supporting the 3rd Battalion, 1° Reggimento Cacciatori during its deployment in Costa Mejis. |
| 102nd Special Tactics Team (102STS) 106th Special Tactics Team (106STS) |
Attached to the 2° Reggimento Cacciatori "Cane da Volpe" | |
| 103rd Special Tactics Team (103STS) | Attached to the 3° Reggimento Cacciatori "Cane Segugio" | Although nominally attached to the 3° Reggimento Cacciatori, the 103STS has been on temporary duty with the 4th Guardian Regiment (Sol Invictus) since its deployment to Campeche Military Administrative Zone in Costa Mejis in 2021. |
| 104th Special Tactics Team (104STS) | Attached to the Lumenic Royal Guard | Generally deployed with whatever unit is currently serving a line infantry rotation. Currently, the 104STS is attached to the 3rd Guardian Regiment (Stella Splendida) |
| 201st Special Tactics Team (201STS) | Embarked aboard NA Diritto Divino | |
| 202nd Special Tactics Team (202STS) | Embarked aboard NA Battle of Parete Nord | |
| 203rd Special Tactics Team (203STS) | Embarked aboard NA Vitale Legato |