All Italian Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon units simultaneously deployed to Decimomannu March 20, 2013
Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force, Military Aviation , 1 comment so farEurofighter Typhoons, belonging to the 4°, 36° and 37° Stormo (Wing), the Italian Air Force units equipped with the European fighter jet recently deployed to Decimomannu to undertake air-to-air combat training.
The Typhoon currently equips the 9° Gruppo (Squadron) and 20° OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) of the 4° Stormo at Grosseto, the 10° and 12° Gruppo of the 36° Stormo at Gioia del Colle and the 18° Gruppo of the 37° Stormo at Trapani.
Considered that the 18° Gruppo, from Trapani airbase, was the last squadron to be equipped with the Typhoon, previously flying U.S. F-16s, this is the very first time that F-2000s (that’s the designation used by the Aeronautica Militare) belonging to three different Wings are simultaneously deployed to “Deci” for joint ACMI (Air Combat Maneuvering Installation) drills.
It’s also safe to believe that some Instructor Pilots of the OCU accompanied the front-line fighter pilots in Sardinia, making the deployment the first to feature not only all the Wings but also all ItAF squadrons flying the Typhoon.
Noteworthy, one of the aircraft involved in the deployment suffered a landing incident on Mar. 1, 2013.
Gian Luca Onnis took the interesting pictures of the Typhoons operating from Decimomannu airbase that you can find in this post, including that of a 18° Gruppo F-2000A with the traditional checkered tail.
Image credit: Gian Luca Onnis
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Wargames in the Negev: Italian combat planes train with the Israeli Air Force. Again. February 8, 2013
Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force, Military Aviation , 2commentsThe news was kept confidential until the Israeli Air Force released some interesting details on its website but the Italian Air Force has just finished its third annual deployment in Israel, the last of a series of joint exercises between the two air forces.
Image credit: IAF
AMX and Tornado combat planes conducted joint drills with jets of the Israeli Air Force from Ovda airbase, southern Israel.
The two-week exercise saw the Italian planes fly in a simulated air war scenario: the training included sorties against aerial threats, live firing against ground targets, and very low level flying.
The Italian pilots enjoyed the oppotunity to share their experience with the combat proven Israeli crews and operate at much lower altitude than that allowed in Italy.
Along with the AMXs and Tornados, the F-16s of the 140 Sqn “Golden Eagle” from Nevatim and F-15s of the 133 Sqn “Knights of the Twin Tail” from Tel Nof.
The last of series of exercises that have seen planes of both nations cooperate during reciprocal visits reaffirms the strong ties between Rome and Tel Aviv in the defense field.
On Jul. 19, 2012, Israel’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth 1 billion USD for 30 Italian M-346 Master as replacement of the aging Air Force’s fleet of A-4 Skyhawks, used as advanced trainers for combat pilots designated for fighter jets.
On Jul. 20, it was announced that Israel’s IAI will supply the Italian Air Force with two Gulfstream G550 Eitam conformal airborne early warning (CAEW) aircraft as part of “a larger Government-to-Government agreement between Israel and Italy [worth 1 billion USD] that includes aircraft, engines, maintenance, logistics, simulators and training, provided also by other Israeli and international companies.”
Image credit: IAF
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Italian Predator drone stays aloft for 24 hours in Afghanistan and completes four missions in one sortie January 10, 2013
Posted by David Cenciotti in : Drones, Italian Air Force , add a commentThe Italian Air Force has set a new service record in December 2012, when one of its Predator drones deployed to Herat flew for 24 hours, supporting four different ground missions in Afghanistan.
Image credit: ItAF
The MQ-1, with the Task Group “Astore”, initially fllew over the Bakwa district to support a ground patrol of the Task Force “Victor” that was inspecting the route to be used by an arriving Italian Army convoy.
Then it moved to support from the above the important redeployment phase of the Task Force “South East” from Bakwa base, that was handed over to the Afghan Army.
Within the same district, the Predator then supported a strike mission by two Italian AMX jets that have attacked and destroyed with LGB (Laser Guided Bombs) the antennae of a group of insurgents.
During the same sortie the drone flew over a village near Shindand, where the Task Force “Center” is settled and where an army deport had been discovered, to collect imagery.
Flying for 24 hours in Remote Split Operations (meaning the aircraft is launched by a mobile ground control station and remotely taken on charge by another ground control station located at Amendola, in Italy, and controlled via satellite link) between Italy and Afghanistan, the Italian Predator beaten the previous Air Force record by 2 hours.
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First Eurofighter Typhoon jets in new unit markings at Trapani October 29, 2012
Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force, Military Aviation , 1 comment so farThe following pictures were taken by Michele Carrara at Trapani airbase, where the local based 18° Gruppo (Squadron) of the 37° Stormo (Wing) has recently been officially delivered the first Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
The image prove that the fifth Italian squadron equipped with the F-2000A (as the Typhoon is designated by the Italian Air Force) has already given its first aircraft brand new markings.
Image credit: Michele Carrara
Among the last operative units to operate the legendary F-104 Starfighter in 2003, the 18° Gruppo was the last to fly the F-16 leased by the U.S. and returned last summer to the AMARG.
The Italian Typhoons are not new to Trapani airbase: besides being regularly deployed there to take part to live firing activities in the Sardinian ranges, F-2000As of both the 4° Stormo from Grosseto and 36° Stormo from Gioia del Colle, took part to Operation Unified Protector enforcing the No-Fly Zone over Libya in 2011.
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New Eurofighter Typhoon Squadron activated at Trapani airbase, Italy October 15, 2012
Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force, Military Aviation , add a commentAlthough it has not (officially) received its first plane yet, the 18° Gruppo (Squadron) of the 37° Stormo (Wing) at Trapani airbase, in Sicily, is the more recent Italian Air Force unit to operate the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Last Squadron to operate the leased U.S. F-16 ADF fighter jets, returned last summer to the AMARG, the 18° Gruppo was initially destined to be disbanded, with Trapani planed to be “downgraded” to DOB (Deployment Operating Base) of the Typhoon fleet: in other words although not permanently hosting any active F-2000 squadron it would maintain trained personnel and equipments to support and handle cells of temporarily deployed Eurofighters.
However, the renewed role of Trapani airbase, strategically located in Sicily, few minutes flight time from North Africa, and a significant amount of available planes (96 between operative and on order ones) persuaded the Air Force to keep the 37° Stormo alive rendering its 18° Gruppo, the fifth Typhoon squadron of the Aeronautica Militare.
Filmed in the month of October, the following video shows the pilots of the 18° Gruppo closely working with the crews and IPs of the 4° Stormo, based at Grosseto, whose 20° Gruppo is the type’s Operational Conversion Unit, to convert to the new Gen. 4+ fighter plane.
The 18° Gruppo should officially be delivered its first plane on Oct. 18, 2012.
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