Press Release No. 114/2018 Air Defence: “Scramble” for Air Force Interceptor Fighters. The immediate deployment of Eurofighters occurred on the orders of the NATO operational centre in Torrejon to identify civilian traffic with no radio contact.
This morning, Italian Air Force F-2000 Eurofighter fighter jets, on air defence alert for national airspace, scrambled on an immediate take-off order (known in technical jargon as a “scramble”) for a civilian aircraft that had lost radio contact with air traffic control.
The Kenyan-registered PC12 aircraft had taken off from Buochs (Switzerland) and was en route to Greece.
The two interceptor fighters of the 36th Wing from Gioia del Colle reached the Kenyan aircraft a few minutes after take-off. Once it was visually ascertained that there were no emergency conditions, the two F-2000s returned to base.
The operational mission was activated following the “scramble” order received from the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Centre) in Torrejon, the NATO body responsible for airspace surveillance in that area, and was conducted under the control of the operational rooms of the Air Force's surveillance and air defence system.
The Air Force provides surveillance of national airspace 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, with a defence system that is integrated, even in peacetime, with those of other NATO countries. The service is guaranteed – for surveillance, identification and control – by the 11th Integrated Missile Air Defence Group (DAMI) of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) and the 22nd Radar Group of Licola (Naples), while in-flight interception is provided by the 4th Wing of Grosseto, the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle and the 37th Wing of Trapani Birgi, all equipped with Eurofighter fighter aircraft.
This morning, Italian Air Force F-2000 Eurofighter fighter jets, on air defence alert for national airspace, scrambled on an immediate take-off order (known in technical jargon as a “scramble”) for a civilian aircraft that had lost radio contact with air traffic control.
The Kenyan-registered PC12 aircraft had taken off from Buochs (Switzerland) and was en route to Greece.
The two interceptor fighters of the 36th Wing from Gioia del Colle reached the Kenyan aircraft a few minutes after take-off. Once it was visually ascertained that there were no emergency conditions, the two F-2000s returned to base.
The operational mission was activated following the “scramble” order received from the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Centre) in Torrejon, the NATO body responsible for airspace surveillance in that area, and was conducted under the control of the operational rooms of the Air Force's surveillance and air defence system.
The Air Force provides surveillance of national airspace 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, with a defence system that is integrated, even in peacetime, with those of other NATO countries. The service is guaranteed – for surveillance, identification and control – by the 11th Integrated Missile Air Defence Group (DAMI) of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) and the 22nd Radar Group of Licola (Naples), while in-flight interception is provided by the 4th Wing of Grosseto, the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle and the 37th Wing of Trapani Birgi, all equipped with Eurofighter fighter aircraft.