The handover between Lieutenant Colonel Candian and Colonel Melillo was attended by the most senior officers of the allied Air Forces that make up the E3-A Component in Geilenkirchen. The ceremony was attended by Colonel John Backstrom, a navigator in the Canadian Air Force and current Operations Wing Commander (Ops Wing Commander) of the E3-A Component, and by some of the SNRs (Senior National Representatives), namely the most senior officers from the 18 nations present at the Component belonging to the Alliance. Italy was represented by Colonel Marco Francesco D'Asta, a pilot and Training Wing Commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Stefano Cambi, head of RAMI (Italian Air Force Representation) at the Geilenkirchen base. Colonel John Backstrom expressed great appreciation “for the excellent work carried out” by Colonel Melillo. “I was immensely impressed – he said – from the results achieved by the 2nd Squadron this year, under the leadership of Colonel Melillo”He then recalled how 2011 in particular was a year full of events and changes for the E3-A Component, which for months now has been simultaneously conducting two real out-of-area operations: the first, ISAF in Afghanistan, and the second, OUP (Operation Unified Protector) in the skies over Libya. Both require a strong commitment from a technical, logistical and, above all, human resources perspective. Finally, Colonel Backstrom wanted to emphasise the importance of the ceremony, which seals an important event in the career of every flying officer, and wished the incoming Commander the best of luck for his new role. The outgoing Commander, Colonel Salvatore Melillo, thanked the men and women of 2 Squadron on several occasions for being “constantly driven by a very high sense of duty, for having operated in a magnificent manner, with commitment and professionalism, ensuring the completion of one hundred per cent of the tasks assigned”. He then ended his speech by saying: “Personnel of Squadron 2, I am proud of you!. Colonel Melillo is returning to Italy after four years to take up the position of Head of the Second Department, Studies Directorate, at the Air Force Military Sciences Institute in Florence. Lieutenant Colonel Candian, for his part, stated that he was proud and honoured to assume this prestigious role, fully aware of the commitment and dedication it will require. Addressing all the personnel of 2 Squadron, he said: “I ask you men and women of Squadron 2 to follow me with commitment, to work together to pursue the “excellence of results”, and to find daily inspiration in the intrinsic values that this multinational unit offers us; for my part, I promise to do my utmost to be the best Commander possible and to guide you towards the complete fulfilment of the mission that NATO has assigned to us”.
The Lieutenant Colonel was born on 9 November 1971 in Montebelluna (Treviso). He entered the Air Force Academy in 1990 and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Sciences in 1994. He completed his basic training on the SF-260 propeller-driven aircraft and the MB-339A jet aircraft. Holding the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1994, he attended the ’Specialised Undergraduate Navigator Training and System Operator Track“ course at Randolph USA FB in Texas, flying the T-43, T-37 and T-38 aircraft. On his return to Italy, he attended the ”Fast-Track Jet Conversion Course“ at the 61st Air Brigade, and was then sent to Cottesmore, in the United Kingdom, to the European centre for conversion to the PA200 aircraft. His first posting, in October 1995, was with the 102nd Group of the 6th Wing at Ghedi, where he flew approximately 1,400 hours on the Tornado PA200. He attended the Basic and Advanced Electronic Warfare Courses and the Flight Course at the Tactical Leadership Programme in Florennes, Belgium; he took part in the ”Red Flag“ exercise at the US base at Nellis, in Nevada. From 1996 to 2000, he was deployed on air-to-ground tactical operations in the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo, for which he was awarded the respective NATO medals. In 1999, he served in the ”Master Plan“ Production Cell at CAOC 5. In 2001, he became an instructor in operational tactics. When the 102nd Group was transformed into an Operational Conversion Unit, he served as an instructor from 2001 until 2009. In 2003, he served with the Multinational Division South-East in Basra, Iraq, and was awarded the National Medal for Operation ”Antica Babilonia“. In 2004, he obtained an MCL Master’s degree in Political Science – International Relations from the University of Trieste. In the same year, he attended the Flight Safety and Accident Investigation Course and was appointed Officer in charge of flight safety. Between 2005 and 2006, he served as Head of Flight Safety at the 6th Wing in Ghedi. In 2009, he transferred to the NATO E-3A Component. Having distinguished himself through his performance during the basic qualification course, he was assigned to Flying Squadron 3, where he subsequently served as a navigator instructor and as head of the Navigator Section. In 2011, he qualified to undertake operational flights and is currently undergoing training to become a Crew Assessor with the NATO E-3A Component. The Lieutenant Colonel was promoted to the rank of Major in 2006 and subsequently attended the Advanced Course at the War College in Florence. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2010. In 1998, he married Mrs Chiara and has three children. NATO operates a fleet of E-3A AWACS radar aircraft, which provides the Alliance with an immediately available system for aerial surveillance, early warning and command and control capabilities. The AWACS, or Airborne Early Warning aircraft, are modified Boeing 707s (designated E-3A), equipped with specialised radar capable of detecting air traffic over long distances and at low altitudes. Data can be transmitted directly between the aircraft and command and control centres on the ground, at sea or in the air.
The fleet, called the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (NAEWF), is one of the few military assets that are actually owned and operated by NATO. It is the Alliance's largest jointly funded project and an example of what NATO member countries can achieve by pooling resources. The AWACS play a unique and valuable role for the Alliance, conducting a wide range of missions, ranging from air-to-air surveillance and support missions to reconnaissance.
In recent years, they have increasingly been employed in complex and tactical missions, including air-to-air and air-to-ground control, airspace management, policing, combat search and rescue, and air superiority and supremacy. Since 1982, when it began flight operations, the AWACS fleet has proven to be a vital asset for crisis management and peace-support operations. NATO governments have also requested the support of the NATO AWACS fleet and its surveillance capabilities for major public events. This is the case for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, ’Euro 2004', and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. AWACS provide security support for international summits, such as meetings of the Alliance's Heads of State for the ratification of important documents and G8 meetings.
The NATO AWACS fleet is currently supporting the ISAF operation in Afghanistan and 'Unified Protector” over the skies of Libya.
