A.M.'s C130J Recovers a Mangusta Helicopter

The Italian Air Force aircraft carried out the recovery of the Italian Army helicopter that had been hit by light arms fire. The operation, of particular significance as it is the first time that the recovery of a helicopter from a semi-prepared dirt airstrip has been carried out in the Afghan theatre of operations, was made possible thanks to the synergy between the men of Task Force “Fenice” and those of Task Group “Albatros”, who planned the details of the activity and carried out the loading operations in a context of full security guaranteed by the “Air Riflemen” of the Force Protection of Regional Command West. The “Mangusta” was finally handed over to colleagues of “Task Force Air” in Al Bateen, United Arab Emirates, for its definitive return to Italy.
The ability to rapidly project forces, means and materials over long distances, to hard-to-reach and hostile locations, is an increasingly characteristic requirement of today's military interventions. The Air Force is capable of undertaking this task with the C-130J and C-27J transport aircraft, both of which are in service with the 46th Air Brigade in Pisa, and with the KC767A tanker aircraft of the 14th Wing at Pratica di Mare (Rome). These multi-role and multi-mission assets ensure this type of operation can be carried out anywhere in the world, providing necessary support to international missions.
The Joint Air Task Force (JATF)
An important element of IS. The “Albatros” Task Group of the JATF
Since their debut in Operation Theatre, the aircraft of Task Group Albatros have proven to be an effective tool for providing necessary support to ISAF mission operations, even in extreme weather and operational conditions. Since the establishment of TG Albatros, over 80,000 passengers and more than 16,000 tonnes of materiel have been moved within the Afghan theatre. Thanks to their air-drop capability, until recently, both coalition troops and Afghan security forces have been resupplied in areas otherwise unreachable due to a lack of communication routes or their extreme danger. Furthermore, the “leaflet drop” capability in support of Operational Communications has been developed, and is currently being increased, with over a million leaflets recently dropped in Afghanistan. Finally, with the EC27-J JEDI (Jamming and Electronic Defence Instrumentation) aircraft, TG ‘Albatros’ provides protection to ground forces by neutralising adversary communications, contributing to the counter-IED (C-IED) threat and providing support for Operational Communications. The Air Force Riflemen
The “Air Riflemen” of the 16th Wing of the Italian Air Force from Martina Franca, stationed in Herat and part of the Force Protection of Herat's Forward Support Base, ensure, alongside their Army colleagues, the defence of the ‘Camp Arena’ installations and the protection of forces.