PREDATOR IN FLIGHT FOR 24 CONSECUTIVE HOURS

The Italian Air Force remotely piloted aircraft remained in flight for 24 consecutive hours to successfully complete four missions in the Afghan theatre
Over the same 24-hour period, the Predator AV0002 operated first in the Bakwa district in support of a Task Force ‘Victor’ patrol engaged in the surveillance of a route intended for the passage of an Italian convoy. Subsequently, the aircraft monitored from above a major phase of the withdrawal of Task Force ‘South East’ from the ‘Lavaredo’ base in Bakwa, which was handed over to the Afghan army. Also in the same district, the Predator assisted in the mission of two AM-X aircraft that destroyed two telecommunications antennas used by a group of insurgents in the area using two laser-guided bombs. Finally, during the same flight, a village near Shindand—where Task Force ‘Center’ is deployed—was mapped following reports of the presence of a weapons cache inside it.
The result, which beats the previous record by almost two hours, is the fruit of meticulous mission planning down to the last detail. To ensure the success of the mission, the crews made up of pilots, analysts, video sensor operators, intelligence and airspace experts, flight engineers and technicians, took turns every two hours, dedicating the intervals to checking tasks and weather conditions as well as getting the necessary rest.
Colonel Carlo Moscini, Commander of the JATF – the task force upon which the flight assets of the Italian Air Force in Afghanistan depend – praised the “protagonists of this aviation endeavour for their professionalism and dedication in operating the MQ-1C Predator aircraft, which is extremely useful for supporting forces operating on the ground”.
Task Group Astore, part of the Joint Air Task Force, operates in the theatre with Predator MQ-1C RPAs (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) from the 32nd Wing. It carries out ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) missions in support of national and allied ground troops, thereby contributing to increasing the situational awareness of ISAF forces. Canale Italia News of 28/12/2012 at 20:30