Today
6th Cavalry 6th Bersaglieri 62nd Infantry 4th Engineer Aosta Mechanized Brigade unit locations 2012When in 1991 the Italian Army disbanded a large number of its mechanized brigades in Northern Italy after the end of the Cold War, the Aostas infantry battalions received VCC-2 armored personnel carriers, while the 24th Peloritani was equipped with M109 self-propelled howitzers. Accordingly the brigade changed its name on 18 August 1992 to Aosta Mechanized Brigade. In the same year the brigade began its six-year involvement in the Operation "Sicilian Vespers" a security and policing operation in Sicily undertaken by the Italian armed forces between 25 January 1992 and 8 July 1998.
After the end of the Cold War the brigade continuously changed composition as the Italian Army was drawing down its forces and moving a large number of units from the North to the South of the country, as most volunteers came from the economically less developed Southern regions.
- 21 April 1991 the 141st Motorized Infantry Battalion Catanzaro disbands
- 7 May 1991 the 6th Tank Squadrons Group Lancieri di Aosta of the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade leaves Cervignano del Friuli and moves to Palermo
- 31 March 1992 the 23rd Bersaglieri Battalion Castel di Borgo of the Ariete Armored Brigade leaves Tauriano and moves to Trapani
- 27 August 1992 the 62nd Armored Battalion M.O. Jero merges with the 62nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Sicilia to form the 62nd Armored Infantry Regiment Sicilia
- 31 August 1992 the 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion Col della Berretta changes its name to 5th Infantry Regiment Aosta
- 2 September 1992 the 23rd Bersaglieri Battalion Castel di Borgo changes its name to 12th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 19 September 1992 the 51st Pioneer Battalion Simeto in Palermo becomes 4th Engineer Regiment and joins the brigade
- 16 October 1992 the 24th Field Artillery Group Peloritani changes its name to 24th Self-propelled Field Artillery Regiment Peloritani
- 3 March 1993 the 6th Tank Squadrons Group Lancieri di Aosta changes its name to 6th Regiment Lancieri di Aosta
- 1 January 1997 the 62nd Armored Infantry Regiment Sicilia becomes the 62nd Tank Regiment Sicilia
- during 2001 the 62nd Tank Regiment Sicilia becomes again a mechanized infantry regiment
- 15 April 2005 the 12th Bersaglieri Regiment changes its name to 6th Bersaglieri Regiment
During the late 1990s the Lancieri di Aosta regiment exchanged its Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks for Centauro wheeled tank destroyers, while the rest of the brigade received new vehicles after 2010. In 2013 the brigade gained the Aosta Logistic Regiment in Messina. Today the brigade is composed of the following units:
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- Aosta Combat Service Support Battalion in Messina
- 6th Cavalry Regiment Lancieri di Aosta in Palermo
- 6th Bersaglieri Regiment in Trapani
- 5th Infantry Regiment Aosta in Messina
- 62nd Infantry Regiment Sicilia in Catania
- 24th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment "Peloritani" in Messina (Sicily)
- 4th Engineer Regiment in Palermo
- Aosta Logistic Regiment in Messina
All regiments are battalion sized.
Read more about this topic: Aosta Mechanized Brigade
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