Air Maritime Exploration Squadron Guardia di Finanza

– Gruppo Esplorazione Aeromarittima” in the original language) is a special flight squadron of the Italian Guardia di Finanza (often abbreviated in GdF).

It is the most recent aircraft in the GdF Air Service: the P180 had an enormous success in civil aviation for its high performance with minimums handling costs.

The squadron's activity in this field took mainly place in Senegal for many years, with the so-called “HERA” international operation against illegal immigration from West African coasts to Canary Islands.

This phenomenon is currently critical for the EU society and policy, but the GEA proved to be able to face it, meanwhile accomplishing humanitarian and rescue missions.

In 2007, the squadron played a vital role in a complex operation called “CENGIZHAN”, which was the first case of an “immigration mother – ship” seizure.

In international waters, huge foreign “mother ships” operate as fixed and untouchable warehouses, transhipping drugs and smuggled tobaccos on fast motorboats, so that they can “deliver” these illegal goods on Italian coasts, with minimal probability of being caught.

111), this way it scored top results in this field, including: Today, the Atlantic Ocean is part of operative scenery of Air Maritime Exploration Squadron in his fight against traffic of drug.

The P166 DL3 is equipped with a special sensor, called “Daedalus”, which is able to lock heat and light reflection differences, indicating probable presence of polluting substance.

As a good example of this capability, the GEA joined an international mission after the “Aegean Sea” tanker shipwreck, in 1992, playing a vital role in searching and finding oil-polluted areas.