On March 3 and 4, the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America, Shawn Crowley, accompanied by the US Military Attaché for Aeronautical and Space Affairs in Italy, Col. Robert Horton, visited the “Salto di Quirra” joint experimental and training range (PISQ), the experimental and standardization air shooting department (RSSTA) of Decimomannu and theInternational Flight Training School (IFTS).
During the visit, the US delegation was able to gain first-hand knowledge of the realities and capabilities offered by the Air Force in Sardinia, with particular reference to the current and future capabilities that the Armed Forces express through theoperational training infrastructure program (OTI) at PISQ and the IFTS located at Decimomannu Airport.
At PISQ, Crowley, welcomed and accompanied by the commander of the range and the Air Force Command for the autonomous region of Sardinia (CAMRAS), Air Division General Davide Cipelletti, had the opportunity to see the sites of the land and sea polygon and the polygon infrastructures.
Particular attention was paid to the modern command and control point, with a focus on the capabilities of space surveillance tracking (SST) offered by the polygon through sophisticated sensors specifically installed, in addition to a overview general on the potential expressed by the men and women of the PISQ for the benefit of training activities in the multidomain, future developments in the OTI and new capabilities relating to the space domain.
In this context he also visited the space propulsion test facility (SPTF) of AVIO hosted within the PISQ premises.
On the sidelines of the visit, Crowley said he was grateful for the welcome he received and for the experience he had. “I commend the work done by PISQ in ensuring the training and increasing the capabilities of NATO Allied Armed Forces in defense of our common values” - he has declared - “the cooperation between Defence and industry expressed here, especially in the space domain, is a winning model for increasing the security that underpins the Alliance”.
The following day, accompanied by the commander of CAMRAS, the US head of mission had a long, cordial and constructive conversation with the president of the autonomous region of Sardinia, Hon. Alessandra Todde, at the institutional headquarters of RAS.
Following the meeting with the highest authority of the region, Crowley continued his visit by going to the Decimomannu Airport. Welcomed by the commander of the RSSTA, Col. Giovanni Luca Nicoletti, the delegation was informed about the logistical and operational functions expressed by the command in support of both the units temporarily deployed for training activities and those stationed on the airport grounds, such as the aforementioned IFTS, the 80th SAR center and the 4th flight section of the Coast Guard.
The main stages of the visit were the new radar and the control tower, through which the RSSTA command, by means of its modern systems and thanks to the professionalism of its men, ensures daily interaction between its flight procedures and the civil ones, guaranteeing the air traffic control service in the area to the south of Sardinia. During the subsequent visit to the department exhibition room, which houses photos and memorabilia of the AWTI from its origins to today, the US mission chief particularly appreciated the possibility of taking a photo in front of the corner of the room that preserves theheritage American, as a testament to the strong and long-standing bond between the airport and the United States of America.
In the afternoon, at the end of the visit, the delegation then moved to theInternational Flight Training School where, welcomed by the commander of the 61st Galatina (LE) wing, Col. Gianfranco Liccardo, she was able to appreciate the sophisticated structures that make the campus an international centre of excellence in the training of students during phase 4 called “Lead-in to Fighter Training”, the most advanced of the training syllabus and preparatory to flying front-line fighters.
