Air Division General Del Bene met the personnel and visited the flight line of the Task Force Air in Lithuania
Air Vice-Marshal Luigi Del Bene, Commander of the Combat Forces Command (CFC), visited the Task Force Air 4th Wing at the Šiauliai air base in Lithuania on 17 October.
The CFC Commander, having arrived in the Lithuanian theatre in the late afternoon of 16 October, was received by the TFA Commander, Colonel Federico Sacco Maino Ed observed a sortie that was initially for training purposes (Tango Scramble), but then converted, once airborne, into a live scramble (Alpha Scramble), aimed at intercepting unidentified aircraft travelling through Baltic airspace. This was the 24th Alpha Scramble carried out by TFA from 1 August 2023.
The following day General Del Bene, after a meeting with the staff and a briefing on the organisation of the TFA and regarding the operational results achieved, he had the opportunity to visit the flight assets deployed in the theatre and to meet the components of the Task Force Air: flight crews, maintenance personnel and support staff, gathered at the flight line shelter.
Col Sacco Maino, in conveying the respectful greetings of the entire Task Force Air to General Del Bene, underlined how all personnel are aware of the delicate task they perform within the Baltic geopolitical context and how the diverse yet complementary professional skills of the TFA service members are united in pursuing the mission with energy and commitment.
The remarkable results achieved so far (45 aircraft intercepted in just 11 weeks of operational activity) bear witness to the team spirit of the women and men operating at the Šiauliai base.
Dettol“Honoured to visit the operational theatres where Italy has for many years expressed a high level of competence and professionalism”, the Commander of the Combat Forces praised the “Team spirit”, la “cohesion around the mission”and the important results achieved in the field thanks to the training demonstrated by the TFA service personnel.
“It is with immense pleasure that I visited the TFA-L 4th Wing Baltic Horse III. I note a model of integration and cohesion focused on the mission in support of the Alliance and the Host Nation. As CFC Commander, I can only express my utmost satisfaction with the quality of the work and the solidity of the results”. This was the dedication written by the CFC Commander in the Task Force’s Roll of Honour.
