Colonel Daniele Mantoani

Commander, 5th Army Aviation Regiment Italian Army

Col. Daniele MANTOANI was born in Udine on March 09, 1978. He joined the 179th Italian Army’s Military Academy course in 1997 and, upon completion of his Officer’s training in 2002, he received a bachelor's degree in “Strategic Sciences” from the University of Turin and two master's degrees in “International Strategic-Military studies” and in “Geopolitics and Global Security” from the Sapienza University of Rome. In 2002, with the rank of 1st Lieutenant, he was assigned to the 21st Sappers Engineer Regiment “Timavo” in Caserta, where he served as Sappers Engineer Platoon Commander, also participating in the UN Operation “Ancient Babylon” in Iraq. After his return to Italy, in 2004, he was moved to the Military Academy in Modena to assume the duty of Students’ Platoon Commander within the 186th Military Academy Course, at the end of which he was then assigned to the 8th “Folgore” Paratroopers Sappers Engineer Regiment in Legnago, with the rank of Captain. From 2007 to 2008, he attended the Air Force Flight School in Frosinone and the Army Aviation Training Center in Viterbo, where he obtained the Military Helicopter Pilot and the Army’s Helicopter Pilot licenses. In 2009, he was assigned to the 1st Army Aviation Regiment “Antares” - 11th “Ercole (Hercules)” Squadrons Group, in Viterbo, as Commander of the 113th CH-47C flight Squadron, and, until 2011, he also served at the same time within the project team in charge of introducing the UH-90 helicopter into service, later achieving the type rating on the platform. After completing the General Staff course in 2012, he was employed as Staff Officer in the operations, training and information Office of his Regiment, with which he was also deployed to Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation in Herat, under the Regional Command West (RC-W), serving as S3 cell’s staff officer within the “Fenice (Phoenix)” Italian Army Aviation Task Force. With the rank of Major, he then served in the operations and plans branches of the Italian Army Aviation Command in Viterbo, before attending the 18th Joint Services Staff Course (ISSMI) in Rome, academic year 2015-2016. In 2016, he was assigned to the Logistics Division of the General Staff of the Army, in Rome, where he served as Staff Officer within the Section in charge of all procurement activities for the Army Aviation. In 2018, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he was first appointed commander of the 25th Squadrons Group “Cigno”, under the 7th Army Aviation Regiment “Vega” in Rimini, and then he assumed the command of the “Fenice” Task Group in Herat (Afghanistan) within the framework of the Resolute Support Mission (RSM), with UH-90 tactical transport helicopters, AH-129D attack helicopters and Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (T-UAVs) under his command. In 2020, upon completion of his command assignment within the Italian military contingent in Afghanistan, he returned to the General Staff of the Army, Logistics Division, as head of the 1st Section of the newly-constituted Army Aviation Procurement Office, where he also served as leader of the Project Groups in charge of developing the new attack helicopter of the Italian Army, the AH-249, and the new Light Utility Helicopter of the Army, the UH-169D. As of October 13, 2023, he assumed the Command of the 5th Army Aviation Regiment “Rigel”. Col. Daniele MANTOANI is a certified Military Paratrooper, Legal Advisor for the Armed Forces and, as military pilot, is qualified on NH-500, RH-206, CH-47C and UH-90A helicopters.