The joint exercise with the Kōkū Jieitai will see the two armed forces train together in operational activities.
Yesterday, Friday 4 August, the Air Force completed the deployment in Japan of the assets that will be involved in the joint exercise with the Kōkū Jieitai, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
Departing on July 30 from the bases of Pratica di Mare, Amendola and Pisa, the aircraft made stops in Doha (Qatar), Malé (Maldives) and Singapore, where they had to wait two days for the Typhoon Khanun to weaken, making the skies over the East China Sea once again usable. They then landed at the air base in Komatsu, in the Ishikawa Prefecture, from three F-35A fifth-generation fighter jets from the 32nd Amendola Squadron and one from the 6th Ghedi Squadron; three KC-767A aircraft, two of which are tanker versions for use in flight and one main body for transporting equipment and personnel; and a G-550 CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) aircraft, a multi-sensor system for aerial surveillance and C3 (Command, Control, Communications) from the 14th Pratica di Mare Squadron; a tactical C-130J transport aircraft in the SAR (Search And Rescue) ocean configuration, from the 46th Pisa Brigade. An additional C-130J in a SAR configuration, which escorted the other aircraft to Japan, before then taking off to Singapore to ensure the return of the Italian assets.
The deployment of aircraft from over 10,000 km from Italy, covering all the main technologies of the Air Force, was a test – for the Armed Forces – of advanced expertise in the field of “air expeditionary” operations and command and control, as well as a concrete demonstration of the variety of sophisticated assets that make up the backbone of the national aerospace power.
“Today is an important and symbolic day for the Italian and Japanese aviation,” commented Col. Luca Crovatti, Mission Commander of the deployment in Japan, referring to the Raid Rome-Tokyo of 1920. “At that time, two brave Italian pilots arrived in Japan after three months of journey aboard simple biplanes. This year, on the Centenary of the Air Force, we have replicated this journey with the most advanced equipment in the world.”.
Upon their arrival in Komatsu, the Italian crews were welcomed by Colonel Atsushi Miyake, Flight Group Commander of the JASDF, and an F-15J with a special livery dedicated to the Centenary of the Air Force. In fact, four F-15s from the 6th Wing of Komatsu, supported by a KC-767 from the 1st Tactical Airlift Group, will take part in the training mission that will see personnel from the two armed forces confront and share skills and tactics, especially in terms of interoperability.
Colonel Crovatti explained: “In the coming days, our pilots, flight operators and technicians will train together with their Japanese colleagues from Kōkū Jieitai, to share techniques, training objectives and operational procedures. Through events like this, and thanks to collaboration on ambitious technological programs, Italy and Japan will contribute to raising the operational and training standards of the future Air Forces.”.
The cooperation agreements between the Air Force and JASDF also include the agreement for advanced training of student pilots at the International Flight Training School (IFTS), based in Decimomannu, while, at the governmental level, Japan – together with the United Kingdom – is a partner of Italy in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), an international cooperation program aimed at creating a new-generation air combat platform for multi-domain operations.
