The regiment is part of the army aviation and assigned to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".

[4][6] On 1 February 1956, the Experimental Helicopters Unit was formed in Casarsa and assigned to the V Army Corps.

On the same date the light aircraft units of the 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" and the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment were merged to form the V Light Aviation Unit, which was based at the time at the Vittorio Veneto Airfield.

[9] 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.

[9] The 5th Army Light Aviation Grouping was named for Rigel, which is the brightest star in the Orion constellation.

[9] On 14 March 1977, the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone granted with decree 173 the grouping a flag.

[10] Since then one Military Order of Italy, a Silver Medal of Army Valor for the grouping's service after the 1976 Friuli earthquake, a Silver Medal of Army Valor for the regiment's service during the early stages of the Yugoslav Wars, and a Silver Medal of Civil Valor for the regiment's mountain rescue service in the Julian Alps, have been awarded to the regiment.

[2] These awards have been affixed, together with the Bronze Medal of Army Valor awarded to the 49th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Capricorno" for its services after the 1976 Friuli earthquake, to the regiment's flag and are depicted on the regiment's coat of arms.