The Italian “Weapons Instructors” undertook joint training with British, American, German and Israeli personnel on complex flight missions. From 1 to 20 September, two “Weapons Instructor” pilots from the 4th and 36th Wings, together with logistical, operational and maintenance personnel from the 4th, 36th, 37th and 51st Wings, took part in the Cobra Warrior exercise, held at the British RAF base at Waddington. The exercise, in which the Italian Air Force took part for the second consecutive year, enabled participating personnel to be involved in the planning and execution of flight missions carried out in an advanced and complex scenario, and had as its main objective the completion of the training programme to become “Fire and Tactics Instructors”. All the missions in which the Italian Eurofighters took part were conducted jointly with other Eurofighter aircraft, a German A310 MRTT, Israeli F-15 C/D Eagles and the USAF’s B-52 Starfighter. The hosts, meanwhile, took part in the flight activities with Eurofighters from Coningsby Air Base, F-35Bs from Marham Air Base, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) assets such as the R1 Sentinel, MQ-9 Reaper, RC-135 Rivet Joint and the E3D Sentry AEW1. Depending on the configuration of the combat aircraft (air-to-air or air-to-ground), the Italian pilots carried out airspace control and ground attack roles. Furthermore, for the first time, an Italian Weapons Instructor served as Mission Commander, acting as coordinator for all assets deployed during the mission. In particular, the exercise simulated the infiltration of a helicopter into enemy airspace, followed by the landing of ground troops. “Cobra Warrior 2019”, which provides a unique opportunity to engage with nations outside the Alliance, represented a significant training exercise that enabled personnel to refine tactics and procedures amongst the various NATO nations, as well as facilitating integration and interoperability between fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft and fostering strong bonds of friendship and cooperation among the participating nations. Finally, in the maintenance sector, in addition to ensuring the efficiency of the 100% for redeployed Italian aircraft, the specialist personnel involved in the exercise worked in synergy with German technicians and specialists from the Eurofighter line. Indeed, certain flight missions, for the purposes of pre- and post-mission maintenance, were incorporated into the ETIP (Eurofighter Typhoon Interoperability Programme) and coordinated by the EAG (European Air Group) specifically to identify the standard operating procedures to be adopted across European nations.
The institutional task of the 4th Stormo is to ensure the air defence of the national territory, contributing to the control, even in peacetime, of the relative airspace and carrying out air defence operations in assigned areas, as part of participation in international operations and crisis management. Specifically, the Unit is engaged in the QRA service, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, through the deployment of the Eurofighter aircraft. Furthermore, the 4th Wing is responsible for ensuring the operational conversion of the Armed Force's pilots to be deployed on the EF2000 line.
