An F-2000 Eurofighter fighter from the Italian Air Force, promptly prepared for the airspace surveillance service, flew up quickly this morning from the Istrana air base (TV), home of the 51 ° Stormo, to intercept a civilian aircraft Gulfstream IV took off from Tel Aviv Airport - Ben-Gurion (Israel) and headed to Samedan (Switzerland), which had lost radio contact with air traffic control operators (ATC) during the overflight of the national airspace.
The immediate take-off order - in technical jargon "scramble" - was given by the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Center) of Torrejon in Spain, a NATO body responsible for the area, in coordination with the Poggio Renatico Air Operations Command (COA) and the Armed Forces bodies appointed to oversee national and NATO airspace.
The "fighter guide" staff of the 11th DAMI Group of Poggio Renatico provided the Eurofighter pilot in flight with the information necessary to intercept the aircraft that was flying over national airspace. Arrived in the affected area, the F-2000 Eurofighter of the 51 ° Stormo di Istrana identified the civil aircraft that was flying over the national airspace in the skies between the Venice Lagoon and Mestre for the planned VId (Visual Identification) and after having ascertained that there were no emergency conditions, he escorted him to the border of the national airspace.
