From September 21 to 23, 2026, the Experimental Flight Department The Division of Aerial Experimental Aeronautics and Space of the Air Force (DASAS) was engaged in a testing activity in support of the’Carabinieri, aimed at expanding the spectrum of the helicopter’s capabilities UH-169C for operations of fast rope climbing and material lowering, or rather techniques that allow personnel to quickly reach the ground from a hovering helicopter using special ropes, even in areas where landing the aircraft is not possible or not advisable.
Test pilots, engineers and specialized technical staff from Experimental Flight Department They verified the integration between the aircraft, equipment, operators and procedures through a progressive and structured testing campaign, both day and night.
Flight testing activities They are one of the types of capabilities that the Italian Air Force, through the Air Division of Aeronautics and Space Experimentation, makes available to the Defense and other State institutions. One of the peculiarities of the Flight Experimental Department is precisely the ability to transform an operational need into a structured testing activity, through a rigorous method and the collection of objective evidence that allows the competent authorities to take the subsequent technical and operational decisions.
The collaboration with the Carabinieri is a concrete example of the value of inter-departmental and inter-institutional synergy, In this context, highly specialized skills developed by an Armed Force, in this case the Air Force, can contribute to the evolution of the operational capabilities of other components of the State.
The Experimental Flight Department is one of six departments reporting to DASAS and is tasked with supporting the operational departments of the Air Force through the experimentation, development, integration, and validation of new weapon systems or those undergoing modification. In response to the changing geopolitical, social, and economic context, the RSV has significantly boosted activities to support the Operational Departments, essentially through the instrument of operational technical certification, which allows for the rapid and independent implementation of technological solutions capable of meeting new requirements in hostile theatres.
The Air and Space Experimental Aeronautics Division brings together, under a single command, all the study and experimentation bodies of the Italian Air Force. The Division is the main advisory body for the Armed Force and the Defence Administration for flight testing of aircraft and weapon systems, chemical-physical analysis and evaluation of structural and consumable materials, training and experimentation in the field of aerospace medicine, operational software management, and operational verification of weapon systems. Furthermore, the D.A.S.A.S. provides technical-logistical and operational support to the Bodies of the Italian Air Force and other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps located on the site, and manages, through the Air Terminal Operation Center (A.T.O.C.), flights intended for operations outside national borders. Pratica di Mare airport is the primary Italian military air base for traffic and aircraft movements and is also the sole national military health entry point.
