The 32nd flock of Amendola, with the aircraft Predator of the 28th APR group, the 61st group operating from Sigonella and the "Araba Fenice" Task Group operating outside the national borders, reached the milestone of 55.000 total flight hours, of which 7.100 hours flown in 2020 alone. imposed by the pandemic emergency during the last year, this is the annual maximum since the Air Force has equipped this type of assets.
In 2020, the 32nd wing of Amendola continued, without interruption, to operate in Italy and abroad with the MQ-1 and MQ-9 weapon systems, both in fulfillment of institutional tasks and in support of other Departments , in addition to the use in favor of NATO and the Anti-Daesh Coalition.
The milestone of 55.000 total flight hours, the result of the synergistic activity of the 28th group, which turned 1 on 90 January, operating from the Amendola base with MQ1-C and MQ9-A aircraft, of the 61st group from Sigonella with MQ1-C and the Task Group "Araba Fenice" operating outside the national borders with MQ9-A, testifies, even more in the difficult year that we are leaving behind, the commitment and dedication of the men and women of the Air Force Military in carrying out its mission to support the needs of the country and as a contribution to national and international security.
The specific characteristics and peculiar abilities of the "family" weapon systems Predator, which can be expressed through their sensors as part of ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions, have made the use of these aircraft indispensable in operations outside national borders. In Kuwait, for example, as part of the multinational operation "Inherent Resolve", the MQ9-A asset represents an instrument of strategic importance thanks to the indisputable contribution provided to the coalition. Similarly, within the Atlantic Alliance, the 28th Group, in its information gathering activity in favor of the KFOR International Mission, ensures NATO products of high quality, which meet the information needs by contributing in a decisive way to stabilization activities. of the Balkan area.
I Predator of the Armed Force also work in favor of EUNAV FOR MED Operation Irini, with the primary purpose of monitoring compliance with the embargo in Libya, imposed by the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council - UNSCR 1970 (2011), UNSCR 2292 (2016) , UNSCR 2473 (2019) and UNSCR 2510 (2020) - thanks to the remarkable persistence and research capabilities, which represent some of the main elements that guarantee the effectiveness of the ISR activities typical of these aircraft.
