On Tuesday 7 June, the ceremony was held at Pratica di Mare in the presence of the AM Logistic Commander, Air Division General Giuseppe Marani. During his speech, General Marani highlighted the extraordinary commitment of all personnel at the Flight Experimental Centre (570 units), who, without sparing any effort, sustained such a level of dedication that allowed for the achievement of prestigious logistical-operational results, worthy of this collective recognition.
The Flight Experimental Centre is the AM's primary advisory body for flight testing of aircraft and weapon systems, chemical-physical analysis and evaluation of structural and consumable materials, training and experimentation in the field of aerospace medicine, operational software management, and operational verification of weapon systems.
The staff’s proven professionalism, the range of equipment available, the ongoing contacts and exchanges with leading national and international research institutes and, last but not least, the fact that it holds ISO 9001-2000 quality certification – which enhances the value of the results of its study and research activities, including from a commercial perspective – make the CSV a highly valuable asset for the Italian Air Force and, more generally, for the country. The full text of the formal collective commendation is set out below: “A unit of the highest calibre within the Italian Air Force’s Logistics Command, born of a long and solid tradition of excellence and the exceptional professionalism of its staff, the Experimental Flight Centre has distinguished itself particularly for the extraordinary commitment, self-sacrifice and the very high sense of duty demonstrated in the organisation andexecution of numerous activities carried out, in particular, in recent years within a context characterised by multidisciplinary fields ranging from medicine, chemistry and physics to the various specialisms of engineering, as well as in the context of Technical and Operational Certifications and support to Operational Units engaged in real-world operations both overseas and on national territory. As the only facility in Italy capable of recreating extreme environmental conditions characterised by high-altitude phenomena, the Centre, with its modern hypobaric chamber, is at the forefront, not only in providing high-quality aerophysiological training for all flight crew, but also in conducting research and research and experimentation into the behaviour and reactions of various parts of the human body under such conditions. This has enabled the Centre to publish and present work of immense scientific interest at national and international forums, which has been particularly well received at world congresses on aviation medicine. Following a tragic aviation accident, the Centre, with great promptness, scientific acumen and exceptional professionalism, was able to identify the root causes with certainty; immediately afterwards, with equal analytical skill, it studied, tested and fine-tuned an effective system of non-destructive testing to maintain an entire fleet of the Armed Forces to an adequate safety standard. No less significant is the work carried out by the Experimental Flight Centre in collaboration with university and academic research circles in the study and testing of sealing and coating materials specific to the aeronautical sector, with a view to reducing, if not completely eliminating, any environmental impact. In fully carrying out the Institute’s complex and diverse tasks – unique within the defence sector – relating to the flight testing of aeronautical equipment, the Flight Test Centre has distinguished itself particularly in carrying out numerous Technical and Operational Certification activities, responding promptly and effectively to the urgent operational requirements put forward by the Armed Forces. The Flight Test Centre, with all its departments, has spared no effort in planning, coordinating and carrying out all activities linked to requirements that are sometimes very different in terms of complexity and substance, ranging from “emergencies” with response times of just a few days – requiring the attainment of an essential operational capability as an indispensable prerequisite for deployment by the Armed Forces in a specific context or event – to others that involved considerable resources for periods of up to a whole semester, linked to new and fundamental operational capabilities for units deployed in operations outside national borders and beyond. Precisely in relation to activities carried out in overseas operations, the Centre, through commendable initiative and thanks to the expertise and initiative of its most brilliant personnel, has designed and produced in a very short space of time a device that enables dogs to be trained in the detection of improvised explosive devices without any danger to the dogs or the handlers. Equally commendable is the ongoing effort to identify, test and then trial new self-defence measures against the threat of infrared-guided weapons faced by our assets deployed outside Italy. By applying the experience gained over the years to a new and atypical working situation, the Experimental Flight Centre has been able to develop from scratch and implement streamlined procedures of extreme validity and practicality, and “real-time” information exchange, focusing certification activities primarily on verifying performance requirements strictly relevant to operational needs, whilst ensuring compliance with applicable airworthiness standards and the effective achievement of the significant increase in operational capability required; this has also led to the acquisition of genuine, independent design and production capabilities for modification integration kits, as well as the capacity to carry out the resulting structural and environmental qualification process.
These are commendable examples of operations managed with great efficiency, with an exceptionally high sense of responsibility and an uncommon ability to coordinate resources, include the Technical and Operational Certification for the use of a new radio to temporarily fulfil the role of an emergency radio for the Tornado line flight crews during the transatlantic flight to take part in the Red/Alaskan Flag 2010 exercise, achieved in just four days from the time the requirement was identified, and the integration of GPS on the PAN’s MB339 for transfer flights, the implementation and completion of which similarly took only a few weeks, including the production and structural qualification of the interface kit. Certainly a new undertaking, but one of the highest professional calibre, was the development from scratch of a flight simulator for the SF-260 aircraft, completed in less than a year from the design phase through to testing and already in service at the Air Force Academy. With a keen sense of urgency and absolute efficiency, work was also undertaken on far more complex certification processes, whilst simultaneously identifying the solutions best suited to the needs that emerged as the project progressed, carrying out meticulous monitoring and coordination at every stage with the manufacturers, where relevant, and operating both directly and in perfect coordination with the other branches of the Logistics Command and with the other High Commands of the Italian Air Force; these were far more varied activities, involving national and/or international test campaigns and increasingly comprehensive qualification cycles, which have led, for example, to a real increase in the protection and self-defence capabilities of aircraft deployed or scheduled for deployment in operations outside national borders, through the implementation of ingenious solutions conceived and introduced independently which, in some cases, have more than compensated for the initially limited effectiveness of the systems integrated onto the aircraft, as in the case of the Missile Warning System for the C27J or the new self-protection system against IR threats for the Tornado aircraft. All these are merely examples of a wide range of Technical and Operational Certification activities which have resulted in commendable, enthusiastic and effective measures that have had an excellent impact on the entire military aviation capability, ensuring ever-greater effectiveness, timeliness, cost-effectiveness and compliance with all operational requirements relating to both training and live operations. The deep spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the Experimental Flight Centre, together with all its departments and staff offices, has proved decisive in achieving such prestigious logistical and operational results; this has manifested itself, even during a challenging economic climate, in the wholehearted and enthusiastic participation and self-sacrificing spirit of all personnel. The combination of military and professional values demonstrated, together with its proven exceptional performance, makes the Experimental Flight Centre a proud embodiment of the finest traditions of the Air Force. With an agile logistical structure constantly geared towards the new challenges it faces, the Experimental Flight Centre stands as a shining example of an organisation of the highest calibre, which brings honour to the Logistics Command both at home and abroad and which helps to make the Italian Air Force a modern, effective and efficient, capable of operating in the most diverse conditions and responding to the most complex requirements”. Signed by the Air Force Logistics Commander – General (Air Force) Giuseppe Marani.
