High Representatives from 14 different countries visited IFTS, the advanced flight training school for fighter pilot trainees from all over the world.
It took place on Thursday 11 April, at the’International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Decimomannu, in Sardinia, the visit of Ambassadors and Military Attachés from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Japan, Kuwait, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States. The aim of the visit is to allow the high representatives of the participating countries to see first-hand the cutting-edge techniques and equipment in the field of Flight training and instruction, which IFTS offers to not only the aircrew of the Italian Air Force, but also to trainee pilots from every part of the world.
Upon arrival at the Experimental and Air Bombing Standardisation Department (R.S.S.T.A.) in Decimomannu, the delegation of Ambassadors, accompanied by the Air Force Corps General Silvano Frigerio, Commander of the Air Force Schools / 3rd Air Region of Bari, was welcomed by Air Brigadier General Davide Marzinotto – Commander of the Air Force Command for the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (C.A.M.R.A.S.) – and From Colonel Federico Pellegrini, Commander of the R.S.S.T.A.
After a greeting from General Frigerio, the guests attended an informative briefing on the activities of the 212th Flying Group/IFTS, held by Colonel Vito Conserva – Commander of the 61st Wing – and from the’Eng. Recchia, IFTS manager for Leonardo Aircraft. The visit then continued at the Ground-Based Training System (GBTS) – housing training rooms and a modern interactive training system based on simulators full mission state-of-the-art – and to follow the Flight line, the accommodation structures and facilities available to visitors, as well as the logistical and maintenance infrastructure that manages the operationality of the fleet of 22 M-346 aircraft (designated T-346A by the Air Force).
“We have had a significant turnout of Ambassadors and Military Attachés from numerous nations (from the United States to Japan, from Sweden to Kuwait) who were thus able to see for themselves how the International Flight Training School, here in Decimomannu, is state of the art concerning Lead-In Fighter Training, meaning advanced training for military pilots who will be destined for fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft., these are the words of General Frigerio regarding the day spent. Referring then to the many professional skills of the instructors and all the staff working at the School, he continued: “The human aspect is always relevant, I would say prevailing when talking about flight training and instruction, and therefore the selection process for having the best instructors, both civilian and military, is continually evolving and being updated precisely because the human and therefore instructional aspect plays a predominant role, beyond what the machine, the aircraft and the entire integrated training system that derives from it can be.
On this occasion, the Delegation had the opportunity to meet some student pilots and instructors from nations already partners in the IFTS project. The school currently hosts 53 attendees from Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Japan, Qatar, Greece, Belgium and France as a testament to the excellence provided by the IFTS in the field of flight training on an international level. Just last March 18th, it concluded, one month ahead of the original schedule, demonstrating the efficiency and effectiveness of the teaching methodologies and technological support in use at the School., the training pathway for pilots from Canada and the United Kingdom.
To date, nine foreign air forces have chosen to train their pilots at the’International Flight Training School. It is, specifically, the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Royal Qatari Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force, German Air Force, Japan Self-Defence Force, Austrian Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force e Swedish Air Force.
It project “International Flight Training School”stems from the strategic collaboration between the Air Force and Leonardo, with the aim of pooling the’expertise of the Armed Force in the military flight training sector and the resources of Leonardo Company, the largest Italian company in the sector of Defence, all to the benefit of the entire Country System. The project is based on the delivery of Phase IV courses (Lead in to Fighter Trainingattended by pilots destined for 4th and 5th generation aircraft, such as the F-2000 (Eurofighter) or the F-35.
Formally presented in July 2018 at the Farnborough International Airshow (UK), with work commencing in December 2020, the IFTS awarded its first Phase IV diploma to two pilots from the German Air Force in May 2022. The project is now a successful reality, serving as an example of institutional and national industrial synergy, capable of meeting the growing demand from the Air Force and partner countries in the field of Advanced training of its pilots. The Decimomannu training hub is today a veritable Campus – of over 130,000 square metres – capable of training up to 80 pilots every year.
It 61st Wing, already internationally recognised in the military flight training sector, is structured to provide increasingly high-performing and tailored preparation for the training of pilots destined for aerotactical lines. Specifically, the Salentine Flight School, out of the 4 phases that make up a pilot's complete training path (the first phase – flight selection – takes place at the 70th Wing in Latina), provides the training for the secondPrimary Pilot Training – common to all military pilot trainees and aimed at identifying flight lines) and third phase (Specialised Pilot Training – exclusively for pilots selected for the lines “Fighter”. At the 212° GV IFTS In Decimomannu, under the command of the 61st Wing, the fourth and final phase – “Lead In Fighter Training (LIFT)” – is held, preparatory to subsequent deployment on aircraft. fighter state-of-the-art.
