In recent weeks, a team of Air Riflemen from the 16th Wing of Martina Franca has acquired the qualification to operate independently with electromagnetic systems to combat the illegitimate use of drones - Counter Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS). It is a radar detection system, with day and night optics and devices for electronic interdiction to inhibit the flight ensuring the necessary security, in particular for the protection of airports, critical infrastructures or sensitive sites.
The activity was made possible thanks to one of the ongoing collaborations between the Air Force and IDS "Ingegneria Dei Sistemi", an Italian company that provides research, innovation and technologies for safety in the aeronautics and unmanned systems sectors. A virtuous example of the "Italian system", the result of the cooperation between the Armed Force and specialized sectors of the national industry, in response to challenges and threats from the air both in the civil and defense sectors.
Positively used in the protection device for the safety of previous major events, the capacity recently acquired by the Riflemen of the Air ranks among the different forms of response that the Air Force is able to ensure for the contrast of threats deriving from the use of drones in the larger asymmetric air defense system. Moreover, it integrates the kinetic capabilities already achieved by the Fusiliers of the 16th and 9th Wing, from the ground and from the air, the latter in particular on board helicopters in the function Slow Mover Interceptor Operator (SMIO) to intercept and if necessary neutralize small or ultralight aircraft.
Faced with new challenges and looming threats, the C-UAS capabilities of the Air Riflemen therefore offer a spectrum of answers tout court with respect to the illegitimate use of drones, reflecting the imperative to integrate traditional conventional air defense systems with elements innovative protection.
In the scenarios in continuous and unpredictable evolution, the Air Force confirms also in this sector the constant enhancement of the adjacent capabilities of its weapon systems, enhancing their potential for a growing contribution to the safety of the community. A commitment that is also confirmed in the capabilities and dual character of the Fucilieri dell'Aria team, a member of the Air Force specialized in the "Force Protection for Air Operation", also engaged in this capacity in the safety of some Italian airports in the field of Safe Roads operation.
