NATO: the Italian Air Force at the Furious Wolf exercise

(To air Force)
05/03/21

Due Euro Fighter and personnel of the 4th, 36th, 37th and 51st squadrons of the Italian Air Force are engaged in training with the NATO Mission tactical group in Lithuania Enhanced Forward Presence.

The exercise aims at air-ground integration and presents itself as a valuable training opportunity for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) of the NATO Battle Group in Lithuania.

"The Furious Wolf 21-01 exercise, organized by NATO, represented a great opportunity to enhance the spirit of cooperation between NATO countries, allowing aircrews and ground personnel to train together in a complex scenario.", said Major Fabrizio S., commander of the Eurofighter Detachment from the 4th Wing.

His detachment is an additional deployment to the Italian detachment of Euro Fighter of the Baltic Air Policing which safeguards the airspace on NATO territory along the Baltic Sea coast.

Close Air Support is a specific type of mission where air assets work in support of friendly ground units in close proximity to enemy forces. Such missions require detailed integration between the JTAC on the ground and fighter pilots to coordinate air power and troop movements on the battlefield.

Frequent, realistic and multinational training is a key element in enabling NATO to have well-trained and experienced JTACs available wherever or whenever needed for operations or missions.