Tuesday 10 September saw the change of command ceremony at the Command of Experimental and Standardisation Department of Air Firing (RSSTA) of Decimomannu between Colonel Giovanni Luca Nicoletti, Incoming Commander, and the Colonel Federico Pellegrini, Outgoing Commander.
The handover, in the presence of Logistics Commander General SA Antonio Conserva and the Commander of the Salto di Quirra Joint Interforce Experimental and Training Polygon (PISQ) and the Air Force Command for the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (CAMRAS) General BA Davide Cipelletti, took place in front of a large audience and numerous military and political authorities from the Region, as well as Arms associations and the mayors of the municipalities who, with their banners, wanted to represent the strong bond of’Italian Air Force the Sardinian territory.
Colonel Pellegrini, in his farewell speech, thanked the women and men of the RSSTA for having accompanied him with loyalty, passion and professionalism on the journey that has led the Department to be synonymous with excellence for the Armed Forces.
Colonel Nicoletti, while thanking the leadership of the Blue Army for the prestigious assignment conferred upon him, addressed the personnel of the Department, emphasising that teamwork in synergy with the territory will be the foundational basis for new and brilliant achievements.
General Cipelletti, in his welcoming speech, thanked the Logistics Command for the constant support and continuous attention directed towards Decimomannu Airport and all aeronautical entities in Sardinia, highlighting the task of successive Commanders, that of carrying the baton of an “endless relay race”, whose only finish line is represented by the good of the Air Force and the country.
In his concluding remarks, General Conserva highlighted the recognition of’Italian Air Force “for the exceptional professionalism of the women and men who have served and are serving at the RSSTA, ensuring logistical and operational support to’International Flight Training School (IFTS), to the flying departments of the Air Force, of the other Armed Forces and of the Allied Countries deployed there”, reiterating how the essential collaboration between institutions can create the right synergies for the growth and development of the territory and of the whole of Sardinia. On the occasion, General Conserva awarded the Unit a Solemn Collective Commendation for the extraordinary results achieved in the context of recent and complex joint, international, and inter-agency training activities.
The’ Decimomannu Military Airfield, the Experimental and Standardisation Department for Aerial Gunnery (RSSTA) is hierarchically subordinate to the Salto di Quirra Inter-force Experimental and Training Range (Perdasdefogu), and to the Military Air Force Command for the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (CAMRAS) for the support and coordination functions with other AM entities present on the island. The RSSTA Commander oversees the Alghero Airport Detachment, the Capo Frasca range, the Serrenti Armaments Depot Section and the weather observation units at Capo Bellavista, Capo Caccia and Capo Carbonara, located outside the Decimomannu airport grounds. The RSSTA coordinates, manages and oversees the flying activities of Air Force units, other Armed Forces and Allied countries, while also ensuring their logistical/administrative support. It is home to the 80th Search and Rescue Centre and the 212GV/IFTS, a centre of excellence in advanced flight training, resulting from the partnership between the Air Force and the Leonardo company.
