Online Defense questions on the Air France flight intercepted by our Eurofighter on 22 March

27/03/18

The noise of the press and that of our Typhoon relating to the air traffic in question have just ended.

I tried to understand the event and the report of the press seemed to me a malevolent attempt to tell jokes to the Italian people!

The flight in question entered the Italian sky in Puglia and left our airspace in correspondence with the Aosta Valley. Over the Valle d'Aosta sky (see track on FlightRadar24), it made a kind of loop before exiting Italian airspace.

The military fighter started from the base of Istriana (Treviso) and to reach the plane they had to overcome the sound barrier with big explosions on the Lombardy region.

Not knowing the precise timing of the facts I ask you:

1) possible that along all our beloved boot the base for the scramble more "close" to the route of the airliner was Istrana? By "chance" there were no other aircraft available for control in Puglia or in other bases?

2) the Air France aircraft took a long time to cross vertically the peninsula (50 '?): But the "scramble" should not normally take a few minutes and the achievement of the incriminated aircraft must be very fast?

3) how come the Air France plane has "had to" loop the "control" over the Aosta Valley and not the Po Valley?

4) how come the Air France aircraft did not use the emergency radio channel?

Is it possible for you to have a complete explanation, outside the "official" channels, of the accident?

Best regards

SB

 

Dear reader, given that "a complete explanation outside the official channels" (as you say) would be a demonstration of distrust towards those who guarantee the defense of the national airspace and realizes it, an explanation of this kind would not even be possible for a long series of reasons.

The world of information is today almost essentially made up of "all-rounders" and "commentators" who have the language or pencil certainly faster than the normal preliminary brain activity necessary to do so, but a professional in these cases will never go beyond the official channels .

Firstly, because it does not have either the Defense radar tracks (FlightRadar24 or others, respectfully speaking, they are inadequate to your request), neither the Earth-Edge-Earth radio transcripts, nor the voice recorder of the intercepted AirFrance flight, nor of other documentary evidence of a level suitable to analyze with due diligence an event of intervention of the Air Defense.

Secondly, it would not even be correct to take an interest in asking for it because it would be a demonstration of mistrust of the bodies in charge.

Finally, in the specificity of the Lombard event that has filled the newspapers (I mean the interception of a non-standard aerial activity) it is in our opinion to be considered as an event of absolute routine. This time it triggered a media fuss solely because it did not happen silently (from every point of view), but it is by no means an extraordinary event.

Having said this (which neither you nor many other readers will like), let us give some answers to your questions.

In the first place, with "scramble" we mean the quickest level of operational readiness, which provides for the take-off of interceptors. This, in turn, however fast in its decision-making process, is only the last phase of an investigation that begins with adequate advance on the basis of the constant observation of the airspace of competence.

Regarding the perplexities that you raise about the effectiveness of having a small number of interceptor bases, it should be noted that the evolution of modern military aircraft (which has in the Eurofighter an eminent representative) compared to the current geopolitical context of the Mediterranean basin and neighboring countries, makes it possible to guarantee the full effectiveness of the intervention in the most efficient and economic way for the tax payer. The event of the other day has shown it. The ability to fly at supersonic speeds makes it possible to manage very large areas of expertise, reducing the need to have very expensive operational readiness bases scattered throughout "our beloved boot". In practice, "horizontal" benefits are obtained from the great speed available, unlike a time when a "high vertical speed" was more in demand. If you prefer, you can summarize that the times of "hunting the intruder MiG" with bases of interceptors everywhere in the country have ended up 40 years, and we (unfortunately) unaccustomed to the supersonic "bang"!

As for why the intercepted civilian flight did not use specific transponder codes, we regret not being able to help, but we should have been in the cockpit of that Air France flight to be able to give you the answer requested. The reasons may be due to a temporary failure in the radio or instrumentation facilities, as well as a difficult time of passenger management or more. Simply: we do not know!

In our opinion it is credible as read elsewhere on this and is supported by the fact that is known: the flight continued along its route, the interceptors have returned. All in complete safety for Air France passengers and the civilian population below, without further "strasciche".

Regarding the "loop" performed by the civil aircraft, we find that among the civil aviation procedures there are specific circuits to be performed in order to notify in case of radio failure their condition of difficulty, to those who follow the radar track of the aircraft, to request an intervention. The "route" on board indicates for each specific country the procedures to be performed and the intervention of the interceptors of operational readiness can also be the only answer to ascertain the current situation and make the most appropriate intervention to the situation.

Being professionals, in the world of military information, means knowing how to circumscribe curiosity by trusting what is known by those who defend us, regardless of whether they do it on land, sky and sea.

Trust us, we are in good hands!

Andrea Troncone

(images: Aeronautica Militare / FlightRadar24)