From 12 to 23 September 2022, the exercise “CIS VOLCANEX 2022”, organised by the European Air Group (EAG), took place at the 4th Brigade of Telecommunications and Systems for Air Defence and Flight Assistance in Borgo Piave (LT).
The exercise, conducted in all its phases on the Borgo Sabotino (LT) site, aimed to improve the interoperability of Member States“ Air Forces within the context of ”Communication Information Systems“ (CIS), to train technical personnel in the sector in ”multinational" environments, and to refine and update the interoperability manuals that have been produced over time.
All countries adhering to the exercise event participated with their own personnel and CIS component systems.’Eagle, including Italy, designated for this edition as “host nation”.
For the setting up of the exercise area, in addition to the Brigade, other Air Force bodies were involved, such as the 3rd Wing of Villafranca (for the establishment of the camp with field tents) and the 8th Field Engineering Group of Ciampino (for the levelling and stabilisation activities of the exercise area).
“This is a typical example of teamwork, conducted in total synergy.this is how the Commander of the 4th Brigade commented, Brigadier General Sandro Sanasi, highlighting, among other things, “The importance of the planning and technical-logistical preparation phase for the successful outcome of any operational activity.
The execution phase The exercise primarily involved the technical personnel of the Brigade's CIS sector, the Command and Control Systems Management and Innovation Department (REGISCC) of Pratica di Mare, and a contingent of commandos from the 17th Stormo of Furbara.
During this phase, the so-called “trials” within the Multiband, HF, and TETRA radio sectorTerrestrial Trunked Radio), of the Federated Mission Networking (FMN), Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and the Tactical Data Link (TDL). In such circumstances, links were also established with other EAG Nations' air bases located in Europe.
Tuesday, 20 September was organised a Visitors' Day D-Day which saw the participation of Deputy Director of EAG, Brigadier General Xavier Foissey (FRA), of Commander of the 3rd Division of the Logistics Command, Brigadier General Vincenzo Falzarano and Deputy Head of Department of the 4th Department of SMA, Air Brigadier General Igor Bruni, who, after attending a briefing to present the exercise, visited the CIS assets that had been set up.
There were multiple questions asked to the Subject Matter Expert (SME) present in the various field tents, and all the responses have revealed a high level of technical competence regarding the systems in use. At the same time, the exercise has proved to be a unique opportunity for comparison and sharing of expertise finalised to achieve a technical and operational standard such that it can be used in any scenario.
At the end of the day, the customary pleasantries took place with the authorities who attended, involving the exchange of crests and the signing of the visitors book, an occasion during which the Brigadier General Xavier Foissey he expressly thanked General Sanasi “… for the welcome received and for the support provided by the Air Force to the exercise in organisational terms as the host nation. Subsequently, he underscored the importance of VOLCANEX CIS for the Air Forces of Member States’Eagle defining it “... a unique exercise in the CIS sector as it allows for the verification of interoperability between different systems, which is essential for conducting operations in a multinational environment”.
L‘European Air Group is a multinational organisation based in High Wycombe which operates under the direction of a Steering Group composed of the Chiefs of Staff of the Air Forces of the Nations involved: France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. The mission is to improve the operational capabilities of the member countries' air forces to conduct operations that pursue common interests, primarily through mechanisms that enhance interoperability so that they can operate as one in any scenario.
The 4th Air Defence and Air Traffic Control Communications and Systems Brigade The 3rd Division of the Air Force Logistics Command, based in Borgo Piave (LT), is responsible for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance, both domestically and in overseas operations, of telecommunications and electronics systems, radar systems, air and aerial navigation assistance radio systems, and meteorology support systems. The Brigade also has the task of qualifying and training all personnel assigned to Communication Information Systems, Air Defence radar systems, Air Traffic, and meteorological sectors. The 1st and 2nd Communications Technical Departments, the Technical Centre for Meteorology, and the thirteen Remote Radar Squadrons distributed across the national territory are under the command of the 4th Brigade.
