A pair of fighter aircraft F-35A del 32nd Wing In Amendola (Foggia), they intervened in the early afternoon today to intercept an airline aircraft. Boeing 787, which took off from Mombasa International Airport (Kenya) and was headed for Rome-Fiumicino, lost radio contact with civil air traffic control agencies during its flight over national airspace, approximately over the skies of Calabria.
Rapid take-off order, in technical jargon Scramble, was given by the CAOCCombined Air Operations Centreand Torrejón in Spain, the NATO entity responsible in the area, in coordination with the Aerospace Operations Command (COA) in Poggio Renatico (FE).
The “fighter escort” personnel of 22nd D.A.M.I. Group. di Licola (NA) provided the pilots of the two F-35s in flight with the coordinates and information necessary to reach the civilian aircraft, carry out the planned identification procedure, and ascertain that there were no emergency conditions.
Before the military fighter pair reached the civilian aircraft, the Boeing 787 crew re-established radio communications with air traffic control bodies, continuing its route towards the Roman airport.
The Speed which the military aircraft took off is the demonstration of the’high level of readiness of the entire service National and NATO air space defence, achieved thanks to the professionalism of its crews and all the Air Force personnel involved.
From January 2022, the 32nd Wing has been contributing to the Air Defence of both national and NATO airspace with F-35A aircraft on alert readiness.
In the event of a possible “scramble” order from the competent NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC), the 5th generation F-35 aircraft take off in just a few minutes to intercept and locate any suspicious aircraft, contributing with specific operational and latest-generation technological capabilities to the QRA service.
In addition to the 32nd Wing with F-35s from both the 32nd and 6th Wings, four other Air Force Wings with Eurofighter aircraft provide Air Defence services: the 4th Wing of Grosseto, the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle, the 37th Wing of Trapani and the 51st Wing of Istrana.
