The important operational milestone was reached just a few months after the new Italian Air Force tanker entered service
The importance of this achievement is linked to the fact that over 650 hours were flown in support of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) for the Afghan theatre and in support of NATO’s Operation “Unified Protector” for the Libyan crisis. The latter, in particular, marked a significant acceleration in the aircraft's entry-into-service programme as a tanker. The first of the four KC-767A aircraft ordered by the Air Force was delivered at the end of January, and after entering service in mid-May, the aircraft has literally hit the ground running, achieving full operational capability despite the technical issues inherent in new and technologically complex aircraft; the fleet currently consists of two tankers.
In the context of strategic transport, the first landing in an operational theatre took place just over a month ago; these results have enabled the Armed Force, through the Air Squadron Command and the Mobility and Support Forces Command, to best meet the requests of the Joint Summit Operations Command, thus demonstrating that the KC-767A is an asset perfectly integrated into the joint context, a pillar of an exceptional projection capability for the national and NATO air component.
