Air Mobility in Operation 'Unified Protector'

From March 30th, with the transfer of operations to NATO, four Italian Eurofighters and four Tornados have been transferred under Allied Command. Aircraft assets involved
From the outset of operations in Libya, the Air Force has made eight fighter jets available for actions aimed at establishing and maintaining a ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libyan territory, all deployed at Trapani Birgi air base.
Four Eurofighter fighter aircraft are currently deployed as part of Operation “Unified Protector”, carrying out patrol and air defence duties (CAP – Combat Air Patrol), alongside four Tornado aircraft performing electronic warfare and reconnaissance (EW – Electronic Warfare/ISR – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), capabilities provided by the Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat Reconnaissance) and Tornado IDS (Interdiction Strike) variants. The Eurofighter jets of the 4th Wing in Grosseto, which have replaced the four F-16s of the 37th Wing in Trapani deployed in Operation ‘Odyssey Dawn’, are being used in complex air operations (COMAO – Combined Air Operations) to ensure the defence of “friendly” aircraft against any hostile aircraft and thus maintain the air superiority necessary to successfully complete the assigned mission, namely enforcement of the ‘no-fly zone’. Since Thursday 7 April, the 36th Wing based in Gioia del Colle, with its Eurofighter aircraft, has also been making a direct contribution to the operations by redeploying personnel and equipment to Trapani airport. The Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat Reconnaissance) fighter aircraft of the 50th Wing based in Piacenza are deployed on missions to ‘neutralise’ enemy air defences (SEAD – Suppression of Enemy Air Defence). Thanks to its sophisticated on-board equipment, this aircraft is capable of detecting emissions from active radar systems of enemy air defences, locating them with absolute precision and, if necessary, neutralising them using the aircraft’s armament, namely AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) air-to-surface missiles. This operational capability – in which the Italian Air Force ranks among the most specialised air forces internationally – effectively forces enemy forces to keep their radars switched off to avoid being detected and struck, and is therefore a vital activity for ensuring the safety of missions carried out by other types of aircraft. The Tornado IDS (Interdiction/Strike) of the 6th Wing at Ghedi (Brescia) are deployed for reconnaissance missions, carried out using a ‘Reccelite’ photographic pod capable of capturing very high-resolution images that are made immediately available to Allied commands. Furthermore, to ensure the smooth running of missions carried out by the eight fighter aircraft made available to NATO, the Italian Air Force continues to deploy KC-130J aircraft from the 46th Air Brigade in Pisa, as well as the Tornado IDS aircraft themselves, for air-to-air refuelling operations.
Support provided by air bases in operational use
From the outset of operations in Libya, the Air Force has made seven bases available for conducting air missions: Trapani Birgi, Gioia del Colle, Sigonella, Decimomannu, Aviano, Amendola and Pantelleria. The first five are the most involved: in these, the Air Force provides technical and logistical support, both for Italian aircraft and for those of other countries participating in Operation ‘Unified Protector’ deployed on national territory. Essentially, the Armed Force’s personnel and resources are continuously engaged in providing a series of services and activities, which include ground technical assistance, refuelling, air traffic control, meteorological services, fire-fighting services and healthcare, as well as, of course, personnel accommodation. Strengthening of the national air defence system and the SAR system.
Another task undertaken by the Air Force is the strengthening of the national airspace surveillance and defence system, which the Armed Force already normally provides on a continuous basis through an integrated system of radars and interceptor aircraft. In fact, the Eurofighter jets of the 4th Wing in Grosseto and the 36th Wing in Gioia del Colle, and the F-16s of the 37th Wing in Trapani are always ready to intervene in the event of an alert from the air surveillance centres, taking off within minutes to intercept the ‘suspect’ aircraft and counter any threat to Italian territory. With the development of the Libyan crisis, the deployment was enhanced by placing a greater number of aircraft on operational readiness. Furthermore, an ‘Spada’ anti-aircraft battery has been deployed at Trapani airport. This is one of the batteries belonging to the 2nd Wing in Rivolto (UD), a unit that ensures the training and efficiency of the entire missile sector of the Armed Force. The ‘Spada’ is a missile system for point air defence, meaning for specific areas such as an airport, capable of intervening against low and very low altitude air threats, thereby complementing the air defence system provided by interceptor jets. Additionally, on air bases where helicopters of the national search and rescue service operate, the level of operational readiness has been strengthened for potential search and recovery activities of flight crews in difficulty. English Summary ITALIAN AIR FORCE FOR NATO OPERATION ‘UNIFIED PROTECTOR’
The Italian Air Force (ITA AF) is participating in NATO Operation ‘Unified Protector’, which is being conducted over Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, with the aim of protecting civilians and civilian-populated areas that are under attack or threat of attack.
The NATO mission comprises three elements: an arms embargo, a no-fly zone and measures to protect civilians from attack or the threat of attack. Prior to the handover of operational command to NATO, the Italian Air Force had contributed to Operation ‘Odyssey Dawn’, always in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Since 30 March, eight Italian Air Force aircraft have been placed under NATO authority as part of flight operations aimed at establishing and maintaining a ‘no-fly zone’ in Libyan airspace. These aircraft, which are based at Trapani Air Base, include four Eurofighters engaged in combat air patrol missions and four Tornados engaged in electronic warfare (EW) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. These capabilities are provided by the Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat Reconnaissance) and Tornado IDS (Interdiction Strike) variants. Furthermore, the Italian Air Force’s KC-130J and Tornado IDS aircraft have been deployed on air-to-air refuelling missions. Since the start of operations, the Italian Air Force has made seven air bases available: Trapani Birgi, Gioia del Colle, Sigonella, Decimomannu, Aviano, Amendola and Pantelleria. The first five bases are currently involved in flight operations. The Italian Air Force has been providing round-the-clock services to support these operations, including logistical support, refuelling, air traffic control, meteorological services, fire services, first-aid services and accommodation for foreign personnel. In connection with these operations, the Italian Air Force has decided to reinforce the national air defence system. Eurofighters from the 4th and 36th Wings and F-16s from the 37th Wing are ready to take off within minutes to intercept and counter any suspicious aircraft or those flying over national airspace without authorisation. Furthermore, a SPADA anti-aircraft missile battery is stationed at Trapani to bolster the airport’s air defence. At air bases where SAR helicopters are normally based, the level of readiness has been raised to ensure they are prepared to search for and rescue any crews in an emergency. TG1 of 29/4/2011 RaiTre TGR Sicily of 29/4/2011 TG La7 of 29/4/2011 TGCOM 29/4/2011 Canale Italia 29/4/2011 Tg1 29/4/2011 at 08:00 Tg2 of 29/4/2011 at 10:30 Tg5 of 29/4/2011 at 08:00 La7 on 29/04/2011 at 06:00 Tgr Good Morning Italy, 29/4/2011, 07:06 Tg1 of 28/04/2011 at 17:00 Tg2 of 28/04/2011 at 8:30 PM La7 on 28/04/2011 at 8:00 PM La7 28/04/2011 11:45 PM Sky Tg24 of 28/04/2011 at 14:00 SkyTg24, 28/04/2011, 11:00 PM Tg3 from 28/04/2011 at 7:00 PM Tg1 of 27/4/2011 at 00:00 Tg1 of 27/04/2011 at 8:00 PM Tg2 27/4/2011 6:15 PM RTV38 of 27/04/2011 at 19:44 Raitre Buongiorno Italia from 27/04/2011 Tg1 from 26/04/2011 at 20:00 Tg1 of 21/4/2011 at 8:00 PM