The F-16 fighter jet is leaving the scene, leaving the Eurofighter to defend Italian airspace. At the event, chaired by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Giuseppe Bernardis, took part the Commander of the Air Force, Air Force General Tiziano Tosi, as well as civil, military and representatives of the American government. The end of the “Peace Caesar” program is part of the process of downsizing the air force instrument that the Air Force has been carrying out for some time in order to achieve a more rational and simplified management and maintenance of aircraft as well as a better use of personnel. The Chief of Staff, Air Force General Giuseppe Bernardis, emphasized during his speech the success of the F-16 fighter jet.“
It was a decade of excitement, a decade where our staff worked exceptionally well and with a unique determination.”– said General Bernardis, adding that “
Trapani and the 37th Wing will continue to be of fundamental importance for the Italian Air Force and the Italian defense system.”. The Chief of Staff A.M. finally recalled the process of transformation that will lead the Armed Forces to a “
A mutation that will make us smaller tomorrow, but increasingly efficient, increasingly capable of responding to the challenges we face and to the demands the country will place on us, with the resources that will be made available to us.”. The success of the program was also highlighted by Air Squadron General Tiziano Tosi who stated “
The originality required in the aftermath of the decision to acquire the F-16 is once again relevant today, because the 37th will continue to have a strategic importance for the Air Force and for the country’s defense. This role is based on the awareness that the capabilities acquired over the years cannot be wasted, but must be capitalized to enrich the entire operational sector entrusted to the Air Force Command.”. Colonel Mauro Gabetta, Commander of the 37th Wing, spoke about the experience gained with the F-16 aircraft, emphasizing that “
The F-16 program was a successful program, because it allowed the Defense Ministry to optimize its resources in a particularly critical historical period: it was a necessary tool for the Air Force to transition effectively and efficiently from a machine that had now reached the limit of its operational capabilities, the F-104 fighter, to the new European aircraft, the Eurofighter.“Referring to the recent deployment of F-16s in Libya, Colonel Gabetta added that “
The operation in Libya highlighted the Air Force’s ability to adapt to changing needs and to be perfectly integrated and highly interoperable with other nations, as well as the high professionalism of the men and women of the 37th Squadron and the Air Force.“During the nine years of activity in Italy, the F-16 “Fighting Falcons” were deployed daily to defend the national airspace, allowing the transition from the F-104 aircraft to the new generation EF-2000 “Eurofighter” fighter jet, and achieving, in a very short time, full operational readiness with significant economic savings. Within the framework of the regular and continuous institutional activity of defense and surveillance of the national airspace, the F-16s contributed to ensuring the security during the largest events that took place in Italy in recent years: from the “Jupiter” operation, held on the occasion of the inauguration of the pontificate of Benedict XVI, to the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, to the “Giotto 2009” operation, during the G8 summit in L’Aquila. In 2011, the F-16s participated in the “Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector” operations, contributing to the implementation of the no-fly zone over Libyan skies to protect civilians and the most populated areas of the North African country.
Tgr Sicilia of 25/05/2012 at 19:30 TG1 of 24/05/2012 at 17.00
TG5 of 24/05/2012 at 13:00 Canale2 Marsala on 23/05/2012 at 14.00 TeleSud3 Trapanidel 23/05/12 at 14.00
Rai Radio Uno GR1 of 25.05.2012 at 23:02
