From 24 November to 2 December 2016, the 61 ° Stormo has redeployed two T-346 aircraft at the Albacete air base (Spain) as part of the "Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) Flying Courses 2016". For the first time, an instructor of Dutch nationality currently working at the 61 ° Stormo also worked among the pilots present.
In the course of the planned activities, the assets of Galatina, led by the chief risk manager Tommaso T., they "played" the "Red Air" role: their task was to engage the other aircraft (Italian and foreign) participating in the exercise in scenarios previously prepared and characterized by Air-to-Air threats. The event involved more than 30 aircraft from Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Poland and England.
As part of the exercise, the 61 ° Stormo trainers carried out eight flight sorties and the presence of the Salento flight school representative obtained, overall, excellent results in terms of results, performing the function of Red Force mission commander.
The training set-up of the 61 ° Stormo, constituted not only by aircraft, by instructor pilots of the 212 ° Group Flight, by the specialists of the 961 ° Efficiency Aircraft Group, has confirmed once again that it knows how to integrate perfectly into the multinational operating context by proving to own a strong ability to adapt in complex, unpredictable and changeable employment scenarios.
The instructors of the 61 ° Stormo on their way to the Albacete airbase have had the opportunity to validate the ability of the aircraft and the related tactics in the various types of missions in the role of "Red Air", to face new scenarios, to confront with the latest doctrines of using air power. This experience will give added value to the contents of the phase IV course (Lead In to Fighter Training Course - LIFT) and to the visitors of the same, all military pilots destined for the aircraft with the highest avionic and aerodynamic performances as well as to an increase in the operational capacity of the 61 ° Stormo.
