Two hunting aircraft Euro Fighter of the 36 ° Stormo of Gioia del Colle (BA) intercepted an aircraft near Trapani that had lost radio communications with the Air Traffic Control authorities.
At about 16.20 yesterday, the two Italian Air Force fighters, on alarm service on the national territory, received the order to identify the aircraft in transit in the Italian airspace with which ground communications had been interrupted. The interception took place in the vicinity of Trapani. A few minutes after the order received in flight, the two interceptor fighters established visual contact with the aircraft, thus ensuring that the latter was not in emergency or danger conditions. Once the aircraft was identified, the two fighters escorted it outside the national borders.
To reduce the intervention times the two Euro Fighter they have been authorized for supersonic flight. The overcoming of the sound barrier was perceived in the Eboli area (SA).
The order came from the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Center) of Torrejon, a NATO body responsible for monitoring the skies in the area, and the intervention of the aircraft was controlled by the operating room of the 22 Radar Group of the Italian Air Force. Licola.
The two Eurofighters received the order to intercept the aircraft - said in the technical jargon scramble - while they were already in flight for planned training. The Air Force aircraft in fact have the ability to intervene quickly and flexibly at any time, and according to need, on the order of the chain of command and control of the Air Defense.
The Air Force ensures the surveillance of the national airspace 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, with an integrated defense system, even in peacetime, with that of other NATO countries. The service is guaranteed - for the surveillance, identification and control part - by the 24th Integrated Missile Air Defense Group (DAMI) of Poggio Renatico (FE) and by the 11nd Radar Group of Licola (NA), while the intervention in flight is insured by the 22 ° Stormo di Grosseto, the 4 ° Stormo di Gioia del Colle and the 36 ° Stormo di Trapani Birgi, all equipped with fighter aircraft Euro Fighter.
