The Directional InfraRed CounterMeasures (DIRCM) Day was held at Pratica di Mare, at the Experimental Flight Centre. Air Division General Fabio Molteni, Commander of the Experimental Flight Centre (CSV), welcomed the representatives of the guest countries and industry, who gathered in the “De Bernardi” conference hall at Pratica di Mare. Subsequently, the event programme was outlined and the DIRCM system was presented in general by specialised technical personnel from the Experimental Flight Department (RSV) and the Armament Department (RA). In particular, Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Carinci, from the Air Force Staff, opened the day's proceedings, before giving the floor to engineer Domitilla Benigni, CEO of Elettronica S.p.A. Subsequently, Captain Giancarlo Borriello of the RSV and Captain Fabio Togna of the RA, two Air Force engineers, explained the organisation and phases of the testing activity to those present: from installation to verification of operational capabilities through the execution of ground and flight tests.
The in-flight demonstration of the DIRCM ELT/572 system, installed on an HH-212 helicopter from the RSV, which was used as a test bed, generated considerable interest. The attendees, who were escorted to hangar M346, were able to witness the demo on specially prepared monitors, thereby observing the effectiveness of the apparatus in real time and appreciating its potential. The day concluded with a group photo taken by the HH-212 helicopter on which the DIRCM is installed, and the exchange of crests between General Molteni and engineer Benigni, who thanked the CSV for their hospitality and congratulated them on the successful outcome of the event.
