Pantelleria Airport Detachment hosts a joint training event as part of the air expeditionary exercise. COMposite Air Operations over the skies of Calabria featuring F35Bs, EF2000s, G550 CAEWs and KC767As
On 27 January, the Pantelleria Airport Detachment hosted a joint exercise involving the interaction of F-35B assets from the Italian Air Force and the Italian Navy.
The training event fits fully into the process of developing joint capabilities, strongly supported by the Minister of Defence Lorenzo Guerini and has marked a further step forward in the process of integration of fifth-generation multi-role aircraft, started with the recent international exercise which involved the aircraft carrier Cavour of the Italian Navy and F-35Bs of the Navy and the Air Force together with the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth.
Specifically, the exercise was aimed at increasing the capacity air expeditionary from the ground through the use of an “austere” base (capacitive segment land-based) not suitable for flight operations of conventional take-off aircraft.
Present at the event were the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Luca Goretti.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, expressed particular satisfaction and highlighted “The aim is to achieve an expeditionary capability both from land and on board Naval Units by employing F-35B assets in an integrated and synergistic manner of the Navy and the Air Force, in respect of the prerogatives of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces. There will be increasingly fruitful synergies that will allow a joint use of the STOVL capability, meaning that depending on the reference domain, the F-35Bs they may be placed under the operational control of one or the other Armed Forces, while always remaining answerable to the Chief of the Defence Staff via the Joint Operations Headquarters.“
Taking advantage of the Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing characteristics (STOVL), the assets F-35B of the two Armed Forces, landed at the Pantelleria Airport Detachment and simultaneously carried out a hot-pit refuelling activity with engines running, technically known as “hot-pit“, from a KC-130J aircraft of the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa, through the special ALARP system (Air Landed Aircraft Refuelling Point) operated by the personnel of the 3rd Wing of Villafranca (VR).
Subsequently, based on an operational/exercise scenario, the two F-35Bs, together with EF2000 aircraft, conducted complex operations known as COMAO, Composite Air Operation. Among these, that of Close Air Support (CAS) to Surface Forces via JTAC teams (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) ground defence by the 16th Wing of Martina Franca, and air interdiction with strategic and tactical management carried out by the G550 CAEW aircraft of the 14th Wing. Also taking part in the activities was a KC767A aircraft of the 14th Wing, which ensured in-flight refuelling operations.
The Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, Air Squad General Luca Goretti, stated on the sidelines of the event: “I am proud and satisfied with what has been done; it has been a decisive day for Defence, the Air Force and the Navy. Today's training event demonstrated, while respecting the roles and individual characteristics of each Armed Force, a renewed collaboration and an important synergy in the deployment of the F-35B aircraft. He then concluded “It is an important synergy that will bring the Air Force to the Initial Operational Capability of the F-35B aircraft to operate from bare bases. Together we are winning. Today was a demonstration of the strength and character of the Italian team“.
The training event
The training event, focused on the use of Italian Air Force and Navy F-35B aircraft, took place with the aim of improve cooperation between the Italian Air Force and the Italian Navy and highlight the aircraft's capability and versatility in operating effectively even from runways unsuitable for conventional aircraft.
The exercise, organised and coordinated by the Air Fleet Command and under the command and control of the Aerospace Operations Command of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara), reproduced an operational scenario in which fifth-generation asset operations took place belonging to the two Armed Forces.
The aims of the exercise were:
Rapid projection capability into operational areas
Following the full synergy highlighted in the joint activity carried out with the aircraft carrier CAVOUR and HMS Queen Elizabeth in the development of the national sea-projection capability, the Pantelleria event is about expressing the capability air expeditionary demonstrating how the characteristics STOVL capability of the F-35B weapon system can significantly expand the possibilities of Defence of projecting Aerospace Power to operate even more extensively and thoroughly across all possible areas of interest.
In many operational theatres, in fact, there are no runways suitable for conventional take-off aircraft – which are of reduced size (so-called ‘austere bases’) because they were created for other purposes or because they are partially damaged/unusable (and therefore partially closed) – with the consequent need to redeploy aircraft to bases often far from the actual theatre of operations, with an increase in costs (use of air tankers) and operational risks due to the increased distances to be covered in flight. Having short take-off and vertical landing characteristics available, on the other hand, offers the F-35B within the Italian Air Force enormous flexibility and agility of employment, allowing it to be positioned near crisis areas from the very early stages of conflict – reducing the times of build-up of the Forces and, indeed, anticipating intelligence collection – thanks to the chain of Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) of the Armed Force – preparatory to the deployment into theatre of the larger Aerospace Forces package.
The capacity air expeditionary F-35B (literally, the ability to “project one’s forces through the atmosphere”) is therefore logically and naturally linked to the distinctive characteristics of the Italian Air Force’s aerospace capability (altitude, speed, range, ubiquity and persistence) and forms part of the broader concept of National Aerospace Rapid Projection Capability (Italian declination of the doctrinal pillar called Air Mobility), a capability that for years has utilised personnel and assets belonging to the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa, the 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare, the 3rd Wing of Villafranca, the Mobile Command and Control Unit of Bari and many others as required. This capability enhances more than any other the strategic role of Aerospace Power, which reduces the time and costs of an operation by exploiting the ubiquity of the atmosphere (and soon Space) and the absence of physical borders.
Focus F-35
The F-35 aircraft is a 5th generation aeronautical Weapon System, very complex and detailed, but equipped with a spectrum of operational capabilities such as to allow – once fully integrated into the overall Aerospace instrument – the simultaneous and autonomous performance of all the missions of air-tactical doctrine. The technological state of the art applied to onboard sensor suite and the low observability of the aircraft (reduced radar cross-section) are distinctive elements that allow their operational effectiveness to be exponentially increased, guaranteeing not only higher levels of survivability in hostile territory, but also a high level of awareness and knowledge of the specific tactical scenario, the latter being an extremely valuable element in future crisis scenarios where large aerial platforms, surface vehicles and ships will not be able to gain access.
The aircraft Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is produced in three variants:
The 32nd Wing, based in Amendola (Foggia), is one of the Italian Air Force flight units subordinate to the 1st Air Region Command in Rome, through the Combat Forces Command in Milan.
First Unit in Europe to operate with the aircraft F-35Which, since March 2018, has been integrated into the National Air Defence system, contributing to the defence of Italian skies with specific operational capabilities and state-of-the-art technology. Following the achievement of the Initial Operational Capability (IOC), which took place in 2018, has also participated, since 2019, in NATO operations of Air Policing beyond national borders.
The 32nd Wing is the only unit in the European panorama that jointly employs both F-35A (CTOL) What F-35B (STOVL) – since February 2020 – contributing, with the 5th generation aircraft, to the capability Air Expeditionary of the Armed Force. Furthermore, by employing Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) MQ1-C e MQ-9A, the Department carries out operations of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance (ISTAR), both national and coalition. Finally, through MB-339 aircraft, the 32nd Wing completes the training of RPA pilots to maintain the required adequate operational level even on traditionally piloted aircraft.
