From June 5 to 17 in Beja, Portugal, the European Tactical Airlift Program – Training (ETAP-T), a multinational exercise on air transport
One of the most important international military air transport exercises, the European Tactical Airlift Program – Training (ETAP-T), began on June 5th. In addition to Italy, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom are also participating.
The event, taking place at the Beja military base, is organized by the Portuguese Air Force together with the European Tactical Airlift Center (ETAC) and the European Air Transport Command (EATC) with the aim of training crews in air transport operations in a complex operational context, simulating dynamic situations that could occur in current or future Operational Theatres. Among the main objectives is to improve interoperability and tactical awareness among the various Air Force, To develop European transport capacity in various operations, including crisis operations, and to pool experiences and operational procedures.
The exercise offers the opportunity to achieve flexible training objectives in a range of different disciplines for flight crews, maintenance personnel, Intel personnel, CATO personnel – Combined Air Terminal Operations and personnel. paratrooper.
Italy participates with C-130J and personnel from the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa of the’Italian Air Force together with 20 paratroopers from the Folgore Brigade of the’Italian Army.
Specifically, the missions that the Italian contingent will carry out are airdrop missions, both of personnel at high and low altitude and of light and “heavy” (CDS) material, real and simulated. In addition, JPADs (Joint Precision Air Delivery) launches will be carried out, a precision system for the release of airlifted supplies that consists of an autonomous guidance system. GPS, This is called the AGU (Autonomous Guidance Unit) which allows the material to be launched from the aircraft at high altitude and to be landed with precision at a pre-determined impact point.
The missions carried out during the ETAP-T will be day and night, using NVG (night vision goggles), with simulations of non-permissive theaters with air-to-air, ground-to-air threats, both with a single aircraft and in formation.
There will also be engine-running operations (ERO) and COMBAT OFF LOAD procedures, whereby loads are slid down the ramp of the C-130J while the aircraft is still moving and taxiing on the runway. The training activities will also include take-offs and landings at various Portuguese airports, both on paved runways and on semi-prepared (grass, dirt) runways.
Training for the crews, for the paratroopers and for everyone military It is of the highest value, given the variety of complex missions and the interoperability with the others Armed forces.
Several aircraft are participating: 1 Italian C-130J, 1 C-130H, 1 C-295M and 4 Portuguese F-16, 1 Czech C-295M, 2 A400M and 1 German C-130J, 1 French A400M and 1 C-130J, 1 Romanian C-27J, 1 Spanish A400M and 1 English C-130J.
This training commitment also allows the “Folgore” Paratrooper Brigade, which participated with a team of experts from the Study and Experience Office and the aerial refueling units, to constitute a versatile, efficient and ready instrument, according to criteria of high interoperability with the units of the Italian Air Force and with the main countries of the Alliance and partners.
46th Air Brigade
The 46th Air Brigade of Pisa is a transport division of the Air Force that is subordinate to the Air Force Command through the Force Command for Mobility and Support. With its fleet of aircraft C-130J And C-27J is engaged daily in serving the country, in every part of the world, in numerous institutional activities.
Among these, precisely, activities of aircraft landing and launching personnel and equipment, transport of materials, vehicles and equipment, support to Civil Protection and to other Dicasteries.
Among the tasks of the Department is the assistance to the population in case of calamities or extraordinary needs and urgency, in any weather and light conditions, to provide the requested help that, often, proves decisive to save human lives. A concrete example of this mission is represented by the emergency medical transport of people in imminent danger of life or in isolation in bio-containment.
The company aviorifornimenti
The company aviorifornimenti is the entity of Defence – assigned to the Paratroopers Brigade Folgore – able to condition materials and equipment in special containers and/or on specific platforms, which will subsequently be airlifted by a fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft. The Army’s aerial supply units provide inter-service high-value operational support in any scenario where operations are carried out in a security environment with poorly guaranteed airspace.
The Research and Experience Office is the technical organizational unit that conducts studies, developments, and evaluations regarding air launching on all “parachute systems”, even if they have not yet been introduced into service and/or are not yet homologated for use in military contexts. It carries out research activities, identifying and evaluating technologically advanced industrial, civil, and military products that can be used in the air launching sector.
