On Thursday, May 31, the Logistics Commander, Gen. S.A. Giovanni Fantuzzi, accompanied by Gen. I.P. Alberto De Rubeis, “Head of the Infrastructure Service” of the Logistics Command A.M., and Gen. B.A. Mauro Lunardi, “Commander of the Experimental Flight Center” in Pratica di Mare, visited the “CSV Shooting Range” located inside the base of the 17th “Incursori” Squadron of Furbara (Rome). Upon his arrival, Gen. Fantuzzi was greeted by the “Deputy Commander” of the 17th Squadron, Col. Benedetto Maria Putti, to whom a token of appreciation was immediately offered for the support and assistance provided to the CSV employee in carrying out the “Testing and Evaluation” activity at the Furbara base.
The CSV Shooting Line, born from an idea conceived in 2015, was realized thanks to the synergistic collaboration between the CSV, the A.M. Logistics Command – 2nd Division, the A.M. Logistics Command – Infrastructure Service and the 2nd A.M. Engineering Department of Ciampino, constituting to date the state of the art in terms of ballistics technology. The structure, built in a remote and infrastructure-independent context, will allow the execution of internal, external and terminal ballistics tests for the cannons mounted on the aircraft of the FF.AA. operating in full compliance with the contents of the Single Text on Health and Safety at Work for Staff and in line with the regulatory framework for environmental protection. The Chief Logistician, having verified the security arrangements at the base of the project, expressed his deep appreciation for the rationality with which the firing line was implemented, for the numerous advantages it will be able to provide through the reconditioning campaigns for the onboard ammunition, and for the extensive possibilities it will offer for future implementations. This structure, which is already fully operational for the reconditioning of the Mauser 27mm cartridges used at the TORNADO and EUROFIGHTER lines, will soon be implemented for the reconditioning of the Vulcan 20mm rounds (AMX line) and prepared for the 25mm rounds (JSF line).
The firing line, thanks to its design characteristics and the equipment currently available, allows for experimental testing and comprehensive technical investigations regarding the ballistics of the onboard cannons, thus representing a valuable resource for the F.A., with ample scope for enhancement for activities involving institutional stakeholders and users in the specific sector, both at the national and international level.
The CSV brings together all the study and experimentation entities of the A.M. under a single command. The entity is structured into three departments: the Experimental Flight Department, the Department of Aeronautical and Space Material Technologies, and the Department of Aeronautical and Space Medicine.
In particular, the activities carried out by the Department of Aeronautical and Space Materials Technologies concern all materials used in aeronautics and space, including those used for armament purposes. These activities fall within the field of materials science, analytical chemistry, applied chemistry, and commodity analysis. In these fields, the Department expresses capabilities in analysis, control, investigation, and experimentation; it also has the task of carrying out technical and operational assessments, experiments, and investigations into the effectiveness of weapon systems and materials of interest to aeronautics. In all of these areas, the Department also carries out training and qualification activities for personnel.
