The “The Fox Thief 22”, a national joint exercise planned and conducted by Interforce Command for Special Forces Operations (COFS), which began on 27 September, with the aim of activating the national crisis management organisation, as provided for by the Prime Ministerial Decree of 5 May 2010, and of verifying COFS's ability to implement the provisions envisaged by national contingency plans in the event of involvement of nationals.
In this context, the Defence Departments operating in the sector Special Operations, Their training involved increasing interoperability and integration between personnel and the assets involved.
In particular, the Air Force participated in the exercise with air assets and personnel from various departments of the Armed Force, coordinated by the 17th Attack Wing in Furbara (RM), which has constituted the Special Operations Task Group redeployed at Viterbo military airport. Furthermore, a team of specialists from 3rd Wing in Villafranca (VR), redeployed at the 46th Air Brigade in Pisa, after having parachuted from a C-130J from the Pisa airbase, once on the ground, it carried out a rapid refuelling of two helicopters CH-47F del 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment of the Italian Army, through the system Forward Arming and Refuelling Point Forced landing.
The FARP capability, implementing the activities of Rapid refuelling through the setup of mobile andifiable spots in specially identified areas, has been confirmed as a valuable, highly specialised logistical arrangement capable of ensuring – as demonstrated precisely during the “The Jewel Thief 22” – fuelling in remote areas to support assets Rotary Wing of Defence.
With a sudden change of scenario, the exercise then involved the conduct of an operation Personal Recovery, meaning, or “Search and Rescue” of personnel stranded in a hostile environment, the management of which has been entrusted to 9th Wing from Grazzanise (CE). Specialised personnel from the Campania air base, participating in the activity with two aircraft HH-101, has indeed carried out the reconnaissance and exfiltration operations for the team of 3rd Wing, previously the subject of a simulated attack threat.
Beyond the 17th Attack Wing, which also provided the Special Operations Tactical Support (STOS), and the aforementioned 9th and 3rd Wings, the 46th Air Brigade also participated in the operations with aircraft KC-130J e C-27J, the 6th Wing in Ghedi (BS) with aircraft Tornado and the 36th Wing from Gioia del Colle (BA) by aircraft Eurofighter.
With the “The Mad Thief 2022”The AM has therefore verified and confirmed the interoperability of its assets in a joint force context, as well as the ability to operate, in terms of integration, timeliness, efficiency and effectiveness of intervention, within the scope of Special Operations or in conducting operations in critical conditions and non-permissive environments.
