Here are the photos of the Italian Eurofighter Typhoons departing for their first Red Flag exercise

Eight Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon are about to attend Exercise Red Flag 16-2.

On Feb. 19, seven Italian Air Force Typhoon jets left Grosseto airbase, Italy,  for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where they will attend Ex. RF 16-2, their first ever Red Flag.

The Aviationist’s photographer Giovanni Maduli was there to take the images you can find in this post.

Red Flag departure 1

The aircraft, belonging to the 4° Stormo, based at Grosseto, and 36° Stormo (Wing) based at Gioia del Colle – even though personnel taking part in the mission come from all the units flying the Typhoon, including the 37° Stormo based at Trapani, will join the two-seater Eurofighter that took part in the “F-35 trail,” accompanying the first Italian JSF in the type’s first transatlantic crossing.

Red Flag departure 2

The aircraft, divided into two flights, are supported by two KC-767A tankers from the 14° Stormo and three C-130J Super Hercules with the 46^ Brigata Aerea (Air Brigade) from Pisa.

Red Flag departure 3

This is the very first participation of the ItAF Typhoon fleet to the Red Flag exercise, even though the aircraft have taken part in real combat operations in Libya and have undertaken air defense duties in Iceland and the Baltic States.

Red Flag departure 4

The F-2000s (as the aircraft are designated in Italy) will focus in the air-to-air role during RF 16-2, employing the Typhoon’s latest software package and the HMDS (Helment Mounted Display System).

Red Flag departure 5

Red Flag departure 6

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

11 Comments

  1. Shame on the Italian Airforce and NATO for participating in the destruction of once prosperous Libya.

      • Gheddafi genocide it’s a Joke, under Gheddafi Libya had build and improve school, medical care, and extinguished the pubblic debt.
        Gheddafi regime was destroyed for four simple reason:
        – Destabilizie the middle east (with opposite effect has destabilized the EU).
        – Take Libyan asset and resource.
        – The extinguished debt wasn’t a good news for the FMI, so they had to do somethig.
        – More military bases and controlled land for NATO Allied.
        I’m not Libyan, i’m not a NATO hater or Libyan fan, this is just the facts.

    • Dude Italy don’t have any role in the destruction of Libya, in fact here in Italy politicians make a serious pressing on France and USA to not destabilyze the Geopolitic situation, expecially in Libya with Gheddafi. All the work was done by France and Hillary Clinton (she decided to detronize Gheddafy) and Italy expecially have payed the consequences with the migrant situation.
      Still today Italy it’s very dubious to take the command of the Libyan op in the Libyan scenario, cause we know that the situation would turn only in one way, worse than now.

      • OK, I thought all NATO airforces took part in the bombing of Libya,? I’ll read more into this, bravo to Italy if she didn’t participate. Thanks for your comment reply, helps to get the truth out.

    • And for example the words of Italian Prime Minister Renzi, today, was clear:
      “we have to send 5.000 italians to Libya?….not under my government, i don’t send my soldier to invade another nation. Some international politics, French politics, let’s say that, have had the “brillant” idea to took down the Gheddafi regime without thinking at consequences”.
      So sorry, but Italy had never to do with the Libya mess, on contrary Italy had pushing hard for a diplomathic resolution, but the other NATO allied refuse that, obviously for his profit.

  2. Was a “forced” choice, the 5th or higher gen of fighter jets have dropped the balance line under the long-range stealth combat. Have a fleet of 4-1/2 Gen of multirole speaking in a long therm, isn’t the right choice. USA, Russia and China have built all the same stealth long-range combat fighter jet, we had to adapt or die.

  3. Dude the Gheddafi bombing civilians it’s a totally joke. Before that NATO had the brillant idea to take lybia for oil (fault of France and UK with the support of USA) Libya was a stable and well leaded nation. Gheddafi in fact was the one to take calm and quiet all the Lybian exterminst revolutionary tribes. But then france and Uk mad this great mess (words of Obama, not mine) and he we are, this is the situation. Migrants everywhere and an unstable Libya with France and UK unable to stabilize that nation.
    No conspiracy there, pure facts.

    • That is another conspiracy theory. Gaddafi was bombing, but its main forces against the civilians were ground ones, which is why NATO, before it was a complete genocide intervened. Did you even watch the news?

      Besides, this was done during the Arab Spring. Don’t go on blaming France or the US on this.

      • 1) Same method used in Sirya, there’s some “rebels” (moderate rebels trained by CIA as McKane said, so ins’t a conspiracy at all), that show some opposition regardin an “apparent regime”. This appened in Sirya and in Libya. (UN bulletin on the chemical weapon used in Sirya, said clearly that there’s no proof against Assad).
        2) Everybody know that was the France and UK fault all the Libyc, situation, and even this isn’t a conspiracy, due to the fact that Obama clearly said how France and UK “have made a mess in Libya” and how “we (USA) take in seriously consideration to not support any NATO member action in future”. So Obama it’s a liar?…nope, simply France and UK had his proper colonialistic desires for Libya, then they made this mess destabilizing whit his service the Libyc government, supplying weapon and money the anti-Gheddafi rebels.
        Same modus operandi in Syria, also cause according with the International Treat, USA and the other NATO members, if not called for help by Syria (and they hadn’t received any help request), are considered invasors. The only one nation allowed to stay in Syria with his army air force and navy (cause Syria had requested help from that nation) are the Russian (and i’m not a russian fanboy).
        You know something about Geopolitics?.
        News?….ahahahah opium for the people.
        Good life sir.

        • 1. Rebels are those who didn’t want the Syrian government, Nice knowing you support a dictator.
          2. Source?
          3. Great, another conspiracy theorist browsing this page. Why are all conspiracy theorists Russian fanboys?

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