Yesterday morning a pair of F-2000 Eurofighter fighter aircraft of the Italian Air Force, in alarm service for the defense of the national airspace, carried out an intervention on the order of immediate take-off (in technical jargon called "scramble") to intercept and control an Antonov AN-26 aircraft of the Ukrainian company Vulkan Air flying from Tangier to Fiumicino that had lost radio contact with the air traffic authorities.
The two aircraft, supplied to the 4 ° Stormo di Grosseto, took off from their base at about 8:20 on the order of the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Center) of Torrejon, the NATO body responsible for the surveillance of the skies in the area, and conducted the operation under the control of the operations rooms of the Air Force surveillance and air defense system.
After a few minutes of take-off, the two interceptor fighters reached the civilian plane to verify the nature of the problem. Visually ascertained that there were no emergency conditions, the two F-2000 escorted the plane until it started the descent towards Fiumicino airport, then returned to the base.
