The Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons flew a training mission at a Lithuanian range with the Litening V LDP (Laser Designation Pod) and the GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II bomb.
For the first time since they have started deploying to Šiauliai, Lithuania, to support NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, the Eurofighter Typhoon jets of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), alongside their standard QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) duties, carried out air-to-ground training activities.
The Italian F-2000A (as the single-seat Eurofighters are designated in Italy), assigned to the Task Force Air 36th Wing, flew over the Cudgel training range (Lithuania), “as part of the cooperation activities to increase and implement interoperability with NATO land assets in the Baltic countries”.
The aim of the activity was to improve tactical and exercise cooperation between NATO nations and allowed, after a careful analysis of the mission profiles and the characteristics of the weapons used, to create, from scratch, the safety areas required for this type of training activity, in technical jargon Weapon Danger Zones.
The Typhoons flew a Close Air Support (CAS) mission, which included “talk-on” provided by the Lithuanian JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) personnel, to point the pilot’s eyes and the aircraft’s sensors to the designated target.
Based on the images the Italian Air Force shared after the drills, the Typhoon carried, along with a latest-generation LITENING V LDP (Laser Designation Pod), a single GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II. The latter is a 1,000 lb (454 kg) Enhanced dual-mode (GPS and Laser guided) version of the GBU-16, also known as EGBU-16.
In 2021, the ItAF shared images showing Eurofighter Typhoons of the 4° Stormo (Wing), based at Grosseto Air Base, flying with a full loadout that included four GBU-48 bombs, 4x AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2x IRIS-T missiles, 2x tanks and a Litening targeting pod, in what we called back then a sort-of Italian Typhoon’s “Beast Mode” configuration.
In addition to the use of the Enhanced Paveway bombs, the joint training with the Lithuanian military included ground attacks using the gun, evasion maneuvers against simulated Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems, and the simultaneous release of flares to deceive the missiles’ infrared-guided optical sensors so as to prepare aircrews to respond to various threats in high-intensity combat scenarios.
Baltic Thunder II
Four Italian Air Force Eurofighters deployed to Lithuania since August 2024 as part of the Task Force Air 36th WING “Baltic Thunder II” to support NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. The Task Force includes Eurofighter Typhoons from the 36th Wing at Gioia del Colle, the 4th Wing at Grosseto, the 37th Wing at Trapani, and the 51st Wing at Istrana. These forces are complemented by specialized assets (G.550 CAEW and Beechcraft 350 SPYDR) from the 14th Wing at Pratica di Mare, focused on intelligence-gathering operations. The Task Force’s mission began with the attainment of Full Operational Capability (FOC) on Aug. 1, 2024, and it is set to continue through March 2025.
As of October 8, 2024, the Italian Air Force detachment had logged 500 flight hours and 20 Alpha Scrambles (alert launches of the fighters in QRA – Quick Reaction Alert).
On Tuesday, 🇮🇹 &🇳🇴jets scramble under #NATO authority responding to 🇷🇺 aircraft not adhering to international norms
🇮🇹 intercepted a 🇷🇺 Coot-A over the Baltic Sea &🇳🇴 F-35s took off to identify multiple 🇷🇺 aircraft flying in international airspace off the Norwegian Coast pic.twitter.com/1pBqDUasxW
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) November 14, 2024
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However, besides the alert scrambles, the Italian fighters deployed in Lithuania, take part in multinational integration activities, as the one that involved a U.S. B-52 deployed to RAF Fairford for Bomber Task Force 25-1.
Allies 🇩🇪🇮🇹&🇺🇸 integrated at Lithuania’s live-fire range 🇱🇹 during Exercise Vanguard Merlin as part of BTF 25-1
BTF 25-1 also includes multinational integration with 🇨🇿🇱🇹🇳🇴🇸🇪, reinforcing the Alliance’s interoperability & operational readiness pic.twitter.com/ZMdh1lpM8B
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) November 18, 2024
Swing role
The Italian Air Force hadn’t initially planned to employ the Typhoon is the air-to-surface role, even though using the F-2000 at its full potential for attack, CAS (Close Air Support), AI (Air Interdiction) and Recce roles had been pioneered by the Royal Air Force. The RAF Typhoon FGR4s flew combat air-to-ground missions in the air campaign in Libya (2011), then in the air war against Daesh in Iraq and Syria (using also the Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the first time) but it was not until 2016 that the Italian Air Force started exploring the “swing role” capabilities of the Eurofighter.
When the Italian Typhoons took part in their first Red Flag exercise, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, three of the Typhoons were Tranche 2 (T2) units that embedded the P1E(B) upgrades and were loaded with the latest Software Release Package. The two T2 Typhoons carried two inert GBU-16 Paveway II LGBs (Laser Guided Bombs) and the Litening targeting pod in their missions in the NTTR (Nevada Test and Training Range) in order to validate the tactics being developed since the aircraft started the OT&E (Operational Testing & Evaluation) in 2015. At that time, the Italian Air Force claimed the Swing Role capability was being developed, not to field the capability, but only to support the platform’s export capabilities and help the industry promoting the aircraft in particular regions (like Kuwait).
“Air superiority remains our primary mission,” told us Col. Pederzolli, commander of the 4° Stormo, during an interview in 2016. “However, last year, using the software releases that embed a significant air-to-surface potential we have started flying Swing Role missions with the aim to get a limited secondary air-to-ground capability.”
Following the Red Flag participation, a team of experienced Eurofighter pilots was destined to the new role and those aircrews who were already dual role qualified took part in a TLP (Tactical Leadership Programme) course at Albacete flying the Swing Role mission.
From March 2019 to August 2020, the Italian Air Force Typhoons were first deployed to Kuwait in support of OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve) in Syria and Iraq. The Italian F-2000s carried out reconnaissance missions using the RecceLite II pod. The tour of duty in the Middle East marked a significant “multirole evolution” for the Italian Typhoons, which have operated in the region multiple times and are deployed again to Ali Al Salem AB in Kuwait, since last month.
