"I want to address with pride and satisfaction to all the personnel of the Air Force", declared the Chief of Staff AM, Air Squad General Pasquale Preziosa in taking stock of the activities carried out during the year just ended. "All things - as the recently deceased Ace della Caccia Luigi Gorrini said - that we are ready to redo in 2015 for a better and safer Italy".
There are numerous capabilities of the Air Force, so-called dual, which also become essential services for the community. From air traffic control, to the meteorological service - which has been working for the community for over 50 years - to the aerospace and emergency medicine service. In addition, the commitment in Search and Rescue and in emergency humanitarian and health transport, activities that see the crews of the Air Force ready every day and every night to take off at the request of the Prefectures and national hospitals. These are components that combine the human and technological dimensions, both of which are obliged to improve day by day. Technologies that the Air Force contributes to develop and innovate, also in collaboration with the national industry, as in the case of human flight in space, which represents for the Air Force the natural extension of its operational environment and a fundamental opportunity to technological and scientific progress for the country. The recent missions of Luca Parmitano and Samantha Cristoforetti are a clear demonstration of this.
An 2014 full of challenges and operational commitments, both in Italy and abroad. A year in which the Air Defense departments were called upon to intervene in various real circumstances, as happened on February 17 when two Eurofighter fighters from the 36 ° Stormo of Gioia del Colle took to the air to intercept an Ethiopian Airlines B-767 hijacked during the flight from Addis Ababa to Fiumicino, or like the 14 September, with a similar intervention by two Eurofighters of the 4 ° Stormo of Grosseto to intercept an Airbus 320 of the Lebanese airline "Middle East Airlines" flying from Geneva to Beirut with a suspicious baggage on board.
About 1000 hours of flight, 300 people rescued and over 30 tons of materials transported, this is the balance of the activities carried out in favor of the community by the 46 ^ Air Brigade of Pisa, always at the forefront in Italy and abroad to support missions outside national borders and for emergencies and calamities, from the 15th Wing of Cervia - even in these hours committed to saving lives in the Adriatic Sea - from the 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare and from the 31st Wing of Ciampino, leading departments for emergency medical and humanitarian transport. Essential activities, especially for the islands and the most difficult to reach places on the national territory. A particular mention is made of the repatriation operation of the Emergency doctor from Sierra Leone, the first Italian sufferer of Ebola, which took place at the end of November. The special operation, carried out with a KC-767 with an AM team on board specialized in air transport in bio-containment, confirmed the leadership of the FA and of the country in the sector at an international level.
Time to take stock and new commitments also on an international level. In fact, 2014 marked the conclusion of the mission of the AMX fighters in Afghanistan, which returned to Italy after five years of activity in support of the international NATO coalition ISAF and over 10000 flight hours and 7500 reconnaissance targets achieved together with the Tornadoes. of the 6th Wing of Ghedi. Mission also accomplished for the C-27Jedi electronic warfare component, for the trainers of the Shindand air base and the remotely piloted Predator aircraft of the 32 ° Stormo di Amendola, also returning after more than 14000 hours of patrolling and surveillance flight. Afghan territory in support of the Italian contingent, governmental and non-governmental organizations and the local population.
Predators who are already back on the field for a new mission, that of the fight against international terrorism. The Italian UAV assets are in fact operating both in the Horn of Africa, since last August in Djibouti, to combat international piracy, and in the Middle East, together with the four Tornado fighters of the 6 ° Stormo and the KC767 of the 14 ° Stormo, deployed since last November in Kuwait with support, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks within the international coalition committed to countering the terrorist threat of ISIS.
Source: General Staff AM, Public Information Office
