ATLANTIC SUPPORTS RESCUE ACTIVITIES IN BARCONE

The Air Force aircraft remained in flight for 8 hours in adverse weather conditions to monitor a boat carrying migrants. After an EH-101 from the Naval Force intervened, an Atlantic BR-1150 from the Air Force was requested. The aircraft took off at 12:06 from the military airport of Sigonella, home of the 41st Squadron, and reached the operational area, off the Calabria coast. The Air Force aircraft remained in flight for 8 consecutive hours and continuously monitored the distressed vessel, sending the position data of the vessel to the operational room, enabling the activation of the rescue device for the retrieval of the migrants.
The BR1150 Atlantic aircraft of the 41st Air Squadron of the Italian Air Force based in Sigonella (CT) operates with mixed crews (Air Force/Navy) to ensure maritime patrol of the affected areas. The search activities are carried out using the radar on board optimized for the search of targets on the surface of the sea and with the assistance of 3 on-board operators, known as ‘sentinels’, equipped with day and night vision goggles (NVG). In case of sighting of shipwrecked people, the Atlantic can signal the position of the shipwrecked people using lighting devices for night or smoke signals for day and launch a self-inflating pneumatic boat, while waiting for the arrival of surface rescue vehicles. The Atlantic aircraft is a “always-on” patrol aircraft characterized by high autonomy and range, thus able to patrol large areas of the sea, flying at low altitude and remaining in the operational area for a long time, specifically designed to operate in a maritime environment. RepublicTV.it service of 1/12/13 TG1 service of 2/12/13 at 13.30