In the early afternoon today, from the Gioia del Colle air base, home of the 36 ° Stormo, two Eurofighter fighters of the Italian Air Force, on alarm service on the national territory, took off to check the possible threat posed by a radio contact failure of a Transall C 160.
The interception was carried out over the skies of Ponza Island where fighters identified the airplane.
The two Eurofighters received the immediate take-off order - in technical "scramble" jargon - from the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Center) in Torrejon, a NATO body responsible for the area, and were controlled by Poggio Renatico, the operating site of the new system NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS).
Once the aircraft was identified and the normal contacts with the Air Defense were restored, the two aircraft returned to their seats.
The Air Force provides surveillance of the national air space 365 days a year, 24 hours on 24, with an integrated defense system, from the time of peace, with that of other countries belonging to NATO.
The service is guaranteed - for surveillance, identification and control - by the Air Control Center, Recognized Air Picture Production Center, Sensor Fusion Post (ARS) of Poggio Renatico (FE) and by 22 ° Radar Group of Licola (NA), in relation to the airborne intervention, from the 4 ° Stormo (GR) and from the 36 ° Stormo (BA), as well as, as support and back-up to the 4 ° and 36 °, from the 37 ° Stormo (TP), all equipped with Eurofighter fighter aircraft.
