The new Air Defense radar installed at 134 was inaugurated yesterdaya Remote Radar Squadron of Lampedusa. The inauguration ceremony was chaired by the Undersecretary of State for Defense, the Hon. Angelo Tofalo, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, aerial team general Alberto Rosso.
The event was also attended by various military authorities and representatives of the Leonardo and Vitrociset companies, the largest national companies involved in the work that involved the Lampedusa site.
The inauguration of the FADR System (Fixed Air Defense Radar, model RAT – 31DL) also constitutes the conclusion of a broader ten-year program which, together with the synergy of the national industrial world, has led to the technological renewal of 12 fixed radar covering the entire national airspace, improving the efficiency of the airspace system National Air Defense.
The FADR is a long-range (over 470km) surveillance radar with anti-ballistic capability. It features advanced "solid state" technology which makes it highly reliable. The system complies with the most stringent market standards, including full NATO-wide interoperability. Sold all over the world in over 50 units, the radar was in fact chosen by many member countries of the Atlantic Alliance, which made Leonardo a reference partner in the air defense sector.
The on. Tofalo, in its speech, wanted to express its applause to the national air surveillance system, the main task of the Italian Air Force"and a precious asset to the service of the country and of all citizens, perfectly integrated with the other Armed Forces. Thanks to this new high-tech system, the result of Italian excellence, our Azzurra Weapon will be able to share important information even more effectively global security ".
Even the general Rosso wanted to emphasize how "the new airspace surveillance structure, based on land-based fixed radar sensors, represents a fundamental element of the National Air Defense System and of NATO, of which interceptor fighters, other air assets with radar sensors on board and command and control centers ". The goal achieved "can be considered an all-Italian success, since it is the result of a full collaboration between the Defense, the national industry and the local communities, carried out with the utmost attention to respect for the territory and the landscape, with the maximum attention to the environment ".
The ceremony was sealed by a symbolic ribbon cutting and by the overflight of a pair of Eurofighter fighter interceptors from the 37 ° flock of Trapani Birgi; to follow, all the Authorities present and the guests gathered at the event were accompanied within the installation that hosts the RAT – 31DL and had the opportunity to visit the entire radar site of Lampedusa, contextually redeveloped in the area some jobs.
The 134a Remote Radar Squadron, inserted in the network of National Air Defense integrated, even in peacetime, with that of the other NATO member countries, has the task of maintaining the assigned system in efficiency, without interruption, and of ensuring the surveillance of the airspace of competence. The Lampedusa Aeronautical Detachment provides logistical support to the 134aSquadriglia Remote Radar and other military bodies located on the island of Lampedusa, providing assistance to the military aircraft of the Italian Air Force in transit on the civilian airport.
The radar inaugurated today is part of the network of sensors distributed throughout the national territory with the task of collecting the information necessary to intercept potential air threats. The data collected by the radars are thus distributed and processed by the 11 ° DAMI Group (Integrated Missile Air Defense) of Poggio Renatico (FE) and the 22 ° Radar Group of Licola (NA), which then have the task of guiding the structures of the Air Defense. Specifically, the Italian Air Force uses the Eurofighter aircraft of the 4 ° flock of Grosseto, the 36 ° flock of Gioia del Colle and the 37 ° flock of Trapani, which in turn feed a temporary cell at the base, according to necessity of the 51 ° flock of Istrana. From March 2018 also, in the system of Air Defense the F35 aircraft of Amendola's 32 ° flock were also integrated, contributing, with specific operational capabilities and latest-generation technology, to the defense of Italian skies.
The alert chain for airspace violations provides that the order of immediate intervention of the fighters will be given by the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Center) of Torrejon (Spain), the NATO body responsible for the airspace surveillance service in the area, whose national interlocutor is the Air Operation Center (AOC) of Poggio Renatico (FE).
The AOC carries out fundamental tasks in the organization of the air defense service and carries out a constant supervision activity on the correct functioning of the device. Should a non-military threat to Italian airspace arise, the IT-AOC resumes command of interceptor aircraft entrusted to NATO, for the subsequent law enforcement action. This happens when a civil aircraft in transit in the national air space shows an anomalous conduct and, therefore, potentially dangerous for safety, or if it needs air support for technical problems that compromise the safety of the flight.
