Ceremony for the achievement of Full Operational Capability of the 32nd Wing TFA
The inaugural ceremony of the Task Force Air – 32nd Wing on the occasion of reaching Full Operational Capability (Free of charge.), held at Krolewo Airport Malbork, was chaired by the Minister Jacek Siewiera, Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland – Head of the National Security Bureau and the Italian Ambassador to Poland Luca Franchetti Pardo.
The ceremony was attended by staff from the Italian TFA and a representation of Polish soldiers, alongside numerous military authorities from both countries. For Poland, the Chief of Operations of the Polish Armed Forces, General of the Army Corps, was present. Tomasz Piotrowski and the Inspector of the Polish Air Force Major General Ireneusz Nowak. For Italy, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squad General, was present Luca Goretti and the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command (COVI) Air Force General Nicola Lanza de Cristoforis.
Following the addresses by the Polish authorities, the Italian Ambassador Luca Franchetti Pardo spoke, remarking: “...Italian presence in Poland today confirms the effort of the Italian Armed Forces in supporting the Atlantic Alliance, as evidenced by the presence of over 3,500 military personnel operating on NATO's eastern flank. Air Policing operations have demonstrated their effectiveness over the years, creating excellent synergies between Allied countries, as shown today through the cooperation between Poland e Italy”.
Air Force General Nicola Lanza de Cristoforis, Deputy Commander of COVI, also emphasised in his speech that: “...This deployment, which originated during the official visit of the Polish Minister of Defence to his Italian counterpart last May, is intended to demonstrate the defence and deterrence capabilities of the Allied countries under the auspices of NATO... The F35 aircraft, deployed here, represent the most advanced weapon system available to the’Italian Air Force which, in addition to carrying out the assigned mission of defending NATO airspace, represents an integrated system capable of offering invaluable opportunities for integration between 4th and 5th generation aircraft in a multi-domain context.
The Air Force Transformation has reached Full Operational Capability on 18 September, ahead of the initial schedule, a testament to the high level of operational readiness achieved by the Armed Force; Italy is deploying four fifth-generation aircraft to Polish territory for the first time. F-35A Lightning II and they fuel NATO's defensive and deterrent posture (Air Shielding) and ensure the enhancement of the allied Air Defence capability on the north-eastern flank.
Air Shielding, of which the permanent Air Policing (AP) device is an integral part, is a NATO-led collective defence mission managed by Allied Air Command (AIRCOMat RamsteinGermanywhich is conducted seamlessly 365 days a year.
The activities undertaken in the Operative Theatre are conducted under the coordination and according to the directives issued by the Joint Summit Operational Command (COVI), which is the High Command of the Defence responsible for the planning, coordination, and direction of military operations, national and multinational joint operations/exercises, and related activities.
Specifically, the Air Task Force – 32nd Wing, through F35A aircraft from the 32nd Wing. Amendola from the 6th Wing of Ghedi, aims to ensure the integrity and security of the airspace of the Alliance's countries, thus contributing to the strengthening of the defence and deterrence posture on the eastern flank of NATO.
