On April 16 last, at the’Military airport of Sigonella, in the presence of Commander of the Air Force/1st Air Region, Air Force General Alberto Biavati, the ceremony of took place phase-in at the 61° Group Volo Aerial Vehicles with Remote Control (APR) of the MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft, a new weapon system that replaces the aircraft Predator MQ-1C currently in use by the Group and representing a significant upgrade in terms of performance and capabilities within the context of ISTAR’s unique and established expertise (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition e Recognition) that the Air Force is able to express with remote-controlled aircraft in active duty in support of Security of the country, particularly in favor of the community and for community activities surveillance for the Environmental protection.
During the ceremony, the Commander of the Air Force/1st Air Region emphasized that “The new structure not only represents a technological leap: it is a concrete testimony to the ability of our Armed Forces to renew themselves, to face the challenges of the present and to prepare with clarity and determination for those of the future.”.
The event saw the presence, among others, of Colonel Antonio Vivolo, Commander of the 32nd Squadron, an entity under whose authority the 61st APR Flight Group and Colonel Stefano Spreafico, Commander of the 41st Anti-Submarine Squadron and the Sigonella Airport, an entity that provides fundamental logistical and administrative support and where the Group is located.
It Commander of the 32nd Wing, In his brief salutation, he outlined the milestones and challenges that led to the introduction of the new APR system, both in terms of training with a lengthy qualification process for the pilot personnel, sensor operator and technical, both in terms of logistics and infrastructure with the construction of the new TMA (Temporary Maintenance Area), necessary to accommodate the new structure.
