On Wednesday 22nd January, Pratica di Mare airport hosted the visit of a delegation of the Hellenic Air Force in the framework of bilateral cooperation between Italy and Greece in the field of Military Aviation. The delegation was welcomed by the commander of the air division of aeronautical and space experimentation (DASAS), Gen. Luciano Ippoliti, who after the welcome greeting illustrated the different capabilities of the division, underlining its primary role in the context of the Defense Administration.
The visit then continued inside the same airport, at the 85th SAR (Search and Rescue) center, where the commander, Maj. Bruno Monteferri, illustrated the institutional tasks of the center and the process that, starting from the request for assistance, through the planning and preparation of the alarm crew, arrives at the execution of the mission.
On this occasion, the commander of the 85th SAR center addressed the delegation of the Hellenic Air Force as follows: “It was a real pleasure to welcome you to our SAR center and to be able to show you the operational capabilities of the HH-139 helicopter, in service with the 15th Wing. This helicopter represents a fundamental asset for our search and rescue missions, in complex operational scenarios, both at sea and in mountain environments, thanks to its versatility and the technologies it is equipped with, such as night vision goggles (NVG), high-capacity winches and latest-generation avionics systems. I am sure that this visit will foster a fruitful exchange of skills in the future, further improving search and rescue capabilities for the benefit of the community”.
The meeting then continued at the maintenance hangar, where the material used during search and rescue operations was shown, in addition to the vehicles supplied to the department, namely the HH-139 helicopters in the two versions, A and B. The activity then came to an end with a practical demonstration phase, first on the ground and then in flight, of the helicopter's capabilities both on land and at sea.
The 15th Wing, of which the 85th Center is an integral part, guarantees, 24 hours a day, every single day of the year, the search and rescue of flight crews in difficulty, also contributing to public utility activities such as the search for missing persons at sea or in the mountains, the emergency medical transport of patients in imminent danger of life and the rescue of serious traumatized, also operating in complex weather conditions, both day and night. Since its establishment to date, the crews of the 24th Wing have saved thousands of people in danger of life, while in the summer they also carry out Forest Firefighting (AIB) activities as part of the assets provided by the Defense for this campaign. The 15th Cervia wing, in addition to the 15th Pratica di Mare SAR center, also depends on the 85th Decimomannu (Cagliari) SAR center, the 80nd Trapani SAR center, the 82th Gioia del Colle (Bari) SAR center and the 84rd SAR group, located right on Cervia (Ravenna). The flight departments of the Italian Air Force are able to ensure the transport of patients, organs, medical teams and ambulances, even in complex weather conditions. Hundreds of flight hours are carried out every year for this type of intervention, in addition to the helicopters of the 83th Cervia wing, the airplanes of the 15st Ciampino wing, the 31th Pratica di Mare wing and the 14th Pisa air brigade.
The Air Division for Aeronautical and Space Experimentation brings together, under a single command, all the study and experimentation entities of the Air Force. The division represents the main consultancy body of the Armed Forces and the Defense Administration for the flight tests of aircraft and weapon systems, the chemical-physical analysis and evaluation of structural and consumable materials, training and experimentation in the aerospace medicine sector, the management of operational software and the operational verification of weapon systems.
DASAS also provides technical-logistical and operational support to the Air Force and other armed forces and state armed bodies operating on the site and manages, through ATOC (air terminal operations center), flights intended for operations outside national borders. Pratica di Mare airport is the first Italian military air base in terms of traffic and aircraft movements and is also the only national military health entry point.
