Following the NATO certification of the entire training cycle for Forward Air Controllers (FACs) obtained last year, the Air Cooperation School has begun the process of seeking NATO accreditation for its simulator. During the visit, the NATO team was able to assess and test the capabilities and potential of the Air Cooperation School’s simulator, which, through the use of virtual reality, enables the faithful simulation of operational scenarios in which FACs (Forward Air Controllers) operate. The purpose of the visit was to initiate the NATO accreditation process for the simulator used in the FAC courses as part of the joint-service training cycles held at the Air Cooperation School. At the conclusion of the visit, in the presence of Air Division General Roberto Lamanna, Commander of the Air Cooperation School, the NATO team expressed its satisfaction with the capabilities demonstrated, the realism of the scenarios used and the training potential. In his address, General Lamanna expressed his hope for “the successful completion of the NATO accreditation process by the end of the year”. The use of the simulator in FAC training is also based on the GFT (Game for Training) training concept, which is now widely adopted in other operational sectors as well, such as pilot training (using the best-known flight simulators).The GFT approach allows for a wide and diverse range of realistic settings and operational conditions whilst, at the same time, significantly reducing costs. The Air Cooperation School is the joint military institute providing specialist training and technical-operational expertise in the field of remote sensing image interpretation (aerial and satellite) and in air-ground and air-naval cooperation. The School has recently obtained NATO certification for the training and qualification of Advanced Air Controllers. The courses run at the School of Air-Ground Cooperation are open not only to military personnel from the Armed Forces, but also to personnel from outside the Defence Administration and to military personnel from NATO and countries participating in the international Partnership for Peace (PfP – Partnership for Peace), subject to authorisation by the Defence General Staff.
