The Italian Air Force participated in the real-time simulation (Real Time Simulationof operations in upper airspaceHigher Airspace Operation), which took place from 3 to 7 March at the’Innovation Hub at EUROCONTROL, in Brétigny (France).
The simulation is part of a special agreement between the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) and EUROCONTROL, to test the conduct of suborbital transport operations at Grottaglie Spaceport.
The activity, which required months of intensive preparation and many preliminary tests, was carried out with complete success. This represents a fundamental milestone for the feasibility assessment related to the possibility of conducting suborbital operations in national airspace. The subsequent evaluation, which will be conducted in collaboration with the General Office for Space (UGS) of the SMA, will allow the AM to consolidate itself as a reference point for Defence in the suborbital flight sector and will contribute to the development of an expeditionary capability, aimed at connecting distant locations on Earth in extremely short flight times.
Specifically, operational scenarios were simulated in a realistic environment that mirrors Italian airspace in proximity to the Grottaglie spaceport. The simulation saw the joint participation, in addition to the Air Force, of the other stakeholder interested in the activities, namely ENAC, ENAV, and CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Centre).
The Air Force has made its specific sectoral capabilities available, involving the General Office of Military Aviation and Meteorology (AVIAMM) and the Coordination and Control Service (SCCAM) of Brindisi.
In particular, the responsibilities assigned to the AM and assessed during the simulation were those related to the management of airspace reserved for suborbital activities, and the management of radio and radar communications during the mission (Mothership e Spaceshipas well as coordination with the Mission Control and with civil air traffic control handled by ENAV.
Air Brigadier General Giuseppe Addesa, Chief of the General Office AVIAMM, attended a phase of the simulation, observing the execution of some key exercises. On this occasion, he met Mr. Laurent Renou, Head of Air Transport Innovation of the’Innovation Hub at EUROCONTROL, for an exchange of perspectives on the activity developed.
