From the 9th to the 12th of November, the helicopters and crews of the Stormo engaged in Puglia in training for the recovery of personnel dispersed in hostile territory. The missions were flown with individual aircraft and in formations featuring the crews and HH-3F helicopters from the following CSAR centers belonging to the 15th Stormo: 82° Center in Trapani, 83° Center in Rimini and 84° Center in Brindisi. AM-X aircraft from the 32° Stormo of Amendola were also deployed as assets tasked with protecting the helicopters in ‘hostile’ territory. The high professionalism of all the personnel employed during the exercise ensured that a high level of realism and substantial training return could be maintained both in the pre-planned missions and in the ‘scramble’ missions, that is, the immediate missions in which the alert to the crews is given without any prior warning. In December in the territory of Trapani, the venue of the 82nd Center, was the stage of the next exercise of this type: ’Pixie 03/09‘. Among the tasks of the 15th Stormo in peacetime, there is the competition for rescue operations for the protection of human life for the benefit of the national and international community, as well as the search and rescue of the crews of military aircraft that have crashed on the national territory and in the adjacent international waters. This task is carried out through the military emergency and rescue service in accordance with the regulations in force and with the planned operational readiness. In times of tension, crisis or war, the Stormo must ensure the recovery of the crews of military aircraft that have been shot down or crashed, as well as develop autonomous operational capabilities in the field of special operations. To fulfill these tasks, an adequate level of training and professionalism is required from the operators, as well as the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities that are the result of a continuous and progressive process that accompanies flight crews throughout their entire operational life. The development of a complex Combat SAR mission may involve the use of air-based aircraft to provide support for rescue teams, that is, for the search for survivors. This requirement requires the crews of the 15th Squadron to train to perform complex Combat SAR missions.
