It ended on September 30, in Belgium, at the Koksijde base Toxic Trip 2023: the most important NATO traveling exercise in the field of defense against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats in the aeronautical sector (CBRN-AIR).
Preceded by meticulous planning lasting several months, this twenty-eighth edition of the Toxic Trip has allowed us to train more than 600 soldiers from different countries belonging to the following organizations: NATO, Euro – Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), as well as to nations that collaborate with the Alliance in specific areas of interest (Partners Across The Globe).
The purpose of the exercise is the improvement and verification of the procedures for combating CBRN threats by the Air Force, so that the Armed Force is ready to manage, also in collaboration with other countries, an "Air" event that may occur at home or outside national borders.
Specifically, during the Toxic Trip Response capabilities were tested in an airport environment, verifying the procedures for detecting, reporting and managing a CBRN event. The staff, divided into teams, thus proceeded with the decontamination of aircraft, vehicles, equipment, infrastructures and men, training themselves to intervene with determination and speed, which are fundamental characteristics, in CBRN contexts, to identify the optimal methods of intervention and remediation, the any type of bomb used, locate the affected area and assess the extent of the damage.
In this edition, Italy wanted to implement its components with a team specialized in the defusing of biologically or chemically charged explosive devices, also using two recently acquired vehicles useful for the decontamination of aircraft and the mapping of contaminated areas.
The innovative virtual reality training program developed by Air Force personnel in collaboration with the LINKS foundation and the Polytechnic of Turin aroused great interest among operators, which also saw the person responsible for the Defense and Military Advisor to the Permanent Representative to NATO, Air Division General Mauro Lunardi, present at the day dedicated to industries.
The training activity, coordinated by the support service of the logistics command of the Air Force, in collaboration with the general staff of the logistics command and the 3rd wing of Villafranca, saw the Italian component once again appreciated for the expertise demonstrated in the identification of the type of agent and in decontamination.
