Interaction of the Armed Forces in the Composite Air Operation 22-01 inter-service exercise
Last January 19 and 20, in a vast area of operations between Puglia and Calabria, the national and inter-forces exercise took place under the direction of the Air Force Aerospace Operations Command. COMAO 22-01 which saw the involvement of personnel and resources from the Air Force, along with those of the’Italian Army And of the Royal Navy.
The main objective of the training event was the interaction between the three parties. Armed Forcese in conducting multiple missions simultaneously, i.e., operations air, maritime e terrestrial using 3rd, 4th and 5th generation aircraft, support aircraft with Command and Control (C2) tasks, on-board refuelling (Air-to-Air Refuelling), the transport of airborne troops and naval units.
In particular, in a highly realistic complex scenario, the meticulous planning activities aimed at Consolidate integration and interoperability Among the various arrangements used and in evaluating the operational plans and tactics used, they strengthened the mutual support between the various forces involved.
Among the operations carried out, particularly significant was the launch of paratroopers from the 9th Assault Regiment “Col Moschin” of the Italian Army from a helicopter. C-27J of the 46th Air Brigade, escorted by aircraft F-35A of the 32nd Stormtrooper Squadron who also played the role of Suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD).
The activity of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) turn by the aircraft Predator MQ-9, supplied to 32nd Wing, which, along with the aircraft Tornado del 6th Wing, to the Eurofighter del 4th Wing and to the AV-8B Harriers of the Navy, he carried out the so-called Digital Close Air Support (D-CAS), namely the support to the troops on the ground in the total absence of radio communications, in close contact with the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) of 16th Wing of the Air Force and those of the Italian Army and the Italian Navy.
For the successful outcome of the exercise, other Stormi aircraft of the Air Force, which are equipped with the aircraft, also made a fundamental contribution. Eurofighter, or the 36th Wing from Gioia del Colle, the 37th Wing of Trapani and the 51st Wing of Istrana and the 14th Wing who took part in the training event with a plane KC-767A Aircraft refueling tanks and a Gulfstream G550 CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) with Command and Control functions, in order to provide the decision-makers a Situational Awareness updated in real time, an indispensable factor of aerospace power.
The exercise represented an important opportunity to consolidate cooperation Interforce, To make it increasingly frequent and necessary both at national and international level, and to consolidate and standardize particular technical and operational procedures.
