In the late morning of December 4, 2019, a crew made up entirely of Air Force personnel, the largest pil. Emiliano P. and the captain ing. Francesco D. experimenters of the Experimental Flight Department, flew, for the first time, at the controls of a T-345 A aircraft: new generation trainer made in Italy.
A few hours later, a second crew formed by Maj. pil. Marco F. and from Maj. ing. Raffaele Q. made a second sortie with the same set-up. These were the first 2 flights entirely in blue of the activity of Preview that the Air Force is carrying out on the Weapon System in Initial Configuration that the RSV is conducting at the Venegono Superiore (VA) plants.
The T-345 A is a HET (High Efficiency Trainer) aircraft designed to offer the performance and efficiency typical of jet planes but at costs comparable to those of turboprop training aircraft. It is highly performing and designed to be effective and reliable, capable of facilitating the passage of pilots from basic trainers to the latest generation fighters.
The acquisition of the new flagship of the Italian industry represents an important step in the modernization of the trainer fleet of the Arma Azzurra which will use it in place of the MB-339 A aircraft, for the execution of the 2nd and 3rd phase of the training syllabus of a military pilot and as a new platform of the National Acrobatic Patrol (PAN).
The Experimental Flight Center brings together, under a single command, all the Air Force study and experimentation bodies. In light of the new reorganization designed by the Armed Forces, the Authority is structured on three departments: Experimental Flight Department, Aeronautical and Space Materials Technology Department and the Aeronautical and Space Medicine Department.
The Center represents the main consultancy body of the Armed Force and of the Defense Administration for the flight tests of aircraft and weapon systems, the analysis and the chemical-physical evaluation of structural and consumable materials, training and experimentation in the aerospace medicine sector, operating software management and operational verification of weapon systems.
In particular, the Experimental Flight Department is the only body in Italy to have the primary institutional task of studying and conducting ground and in-flight testing activities on the Air Force, other Armed Forces and Armed Forces aircraft . It develops the software and hardware modifications of aeronautical weapon systems as part of the Technical Operational Certifications, as well as carries out the Operational Test and Evaluation of new weapon systems in the real context of use. In addition, it directly supports the operational departments of the Air Force through the testing and validation of new weapon systems.
The consolidated professionalism of the staff, the provision of cutting-edge equipment, the continuous contacts and exchanges with important national and foreign research institutes and, last but not least, the possession of the ISO 9001-2015 quality certification, which contributes to the value of the results of the Study and research activities also from a commercial point of view make the Experimental Flight Center a resource of excellence for the Air Force and, more generally, for the country.
