The exercise of the special forces section of the Air Force which took place at the Grazzanise air base (CE), home of the 10th "F.Baracca" wing, ended on Friday 9 November.
A complex scenario in which training and operational experiences were aimed at developing and maximizing the ability to conduct special air operations by the participating departments.
In fact, during the exercise, a series of joint activities were conducted, mainly at night and on realistic scenarios, between crews of the 21st flight group of the 9th wing and operators of the 17th Incursori wing of Furbara, with the aim of integrating the two departments and increase their operational capabilities.
SOF Week 2023 (SW23) was a very important opportunity to increase the capabilities of the crews involved in conducting operations in day and night environments, develop and consolidate the planning process, refine techniques, tactics and procedures (TTPs) of the HH101 asset in the special forces field, carry out activities direct action/hostage release operations by means of techniques heli assault, helisniping, fast rope, vehicle interdiction.
SW23 also allowed us to verify the effectiveness of the training program carried out at the two departments and test all the complex intercommunication systems between the participating structures.
Also taking part in this 23rd edition of the SW is the 14th wing of Pratica di Mare with a G-550 CAEW with command and control capability (C2); the 2nd wing of Rivolto (UD), with the SIRIUS GBAD (Ground Based Air Defense) air defense system, the operational technical support department for electronic warfare (Re.STOGE), and the 22nd DAMI group of Licola (NA) for support to integrated air-missile defense activities.
The 9th wing, with its HH-101 and HH-212 flight assets, carries out support operations for special operations as well as the search and recovery of isolated personnel in hostile territory (so-called Personnel recovery), providing air support to the special forces and intervening, in the presence of any wounded, with emergency medical evacuation activities. As soldiers in the service of the State, the task of the 9th wing is precisely to contribute to the security of the country, to the defense of vital national interests, to protect human lives and to be increasingly useful to the country. The department also contributes to the security arrangements of military redeployments abroad, to peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations, as well as to the implementation of protection measures at the national level during major events or to maintain order. public.
The 17th Incursori wing has the task of selecting, training, training and preparing the special forces (FS) of the Air Force for operational use. It also has the task of ensuring the constant availability of operational detachments that can be readily employed for special operations (OS).
The 21st flight group of the 9th wing of Grazzanise, with its HH-101A helicopters and the Incursori of the 17th wing of Furbara, are the departments that operate in synergy under the aegis of the 1st special operations air brigade (BAOS) .
The 1st BAOS, in fact, ensures the specialization and training of the special forces (Incursori), of the air support forces for special operations (SAOS) and for Personnel recovery, guaranteeing the constant updating of the procedures, the standardization and integration of the training activity, as well as the efficiency of the weapon systems and the necessary means, expressing the capabilities necessary to prepare a structure of one special operation air task group (SOATG) highly specialized, versatile and with high levels of operational readiness for exercises and operations both at Armed Force level and in the joint and international context.
Over the last few years, the special forces sector of the Air Force has consolidated its role as a point of reference in the chain of command and control in the special operations sector, as well as as the sole and authoritative interlocutor of the armed force with regard to the operational command of special forces of the defense.
