The training campaign was concluded in August, aimed at verifying the suitability of the T-11 parachute from the C-130J, C-27J and C130J-30 aircraft of the Air Force, which involved the 46ª air brigade and the Experimental Flight Unit of the Italian Air Force together with the "Folgore" brigade of the Italian Army and the 173ª airborne brigade of the US Army.
The campaign, aimed at strengthening interoperability between NATO countries through the enhancement of the capacities of cross-parachuting, was possible thanks to the synergy between the Experimental Flight Unit of Pratica di Mare which planned, coordinated and directed the test activity and the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa which made available highly qualified flight crews, the necessary aircraft and the relative maintenance support.
The participation of the "Folgore" paratroop brigade, which in addition to the skydiving personnel provided a decisive contribution in the conception and execution of the tests, represented an important added value together with the previous experience of the 173ª airborne brigade in the use of the T-11 parachute.
The certification is part of the wider experimentation program for the acquisition of National Projection Capacity from Air (CNPA), which provides for the achievement of the mass air-drop capacity of paratroopers of the US European Command (EUCOM) and of the "Folgore" brigade from air transport aircraft of the Italian Air Force.
The activity, divided into three test sessions conducted respectively with C-130J, C-27J and C130J-30 aircraft, was carried out in dedicated areas near the military airports of Pisa and Aviano and required the use of two aircraft to each mission: one for the parachute launch and the other in the role of chase with the aim of documenting, through video recordings, the correct execution of the launch and opening sequence of the parachute.
The tests so performed allowed to gather important technical evidences to support the determinations of the Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) regarding a potential future use of the T-11 parachute by the Air Force transport aircraft.
