The aim of the course is to provide the personnel in training, in compliance with the current NATO and national legislation, the notions, the doctrine and the operating techniques on the tactical management of CAS operations (Close Air Support - Close Air Support, such as the conduct of combined missions and support to surface and attack forces against targets relating to enemy forces and potential warfare), also in light of the operational experience gained in the sector and the lessons learned (LL / LI - Lessons Learned / Lessons Identified) in the various operating theaters. The present edition includes 15 soldiers from the Italian army, 2 from the navy, 2 from the air force and 1 from the carabinieri.
The entire training course of the FACs (which recently obtained NATO certification), foresees in the first phase just concluded, an initial practical training on site, through specific exercises with a simulator, based on the training concept GFT (Game for Training, now widely adopted also in other operating sectors, such as the training and training of pilots using the most well-known flight simulators), which allow, through immersive virtual reality, to be able to create diversified environments, realistic reconstructions and operating conditions with increasing difficulty, with a significant reduction in overall costs.
Further training activities carried out in this phase, of high educational value for the course, are those carried out on the Guidonia grounds and at the Monteromano range in the province of Viterbo.
In collaboration with the airport command gliding group, through the use of fixed wing (fixed wing) MB 339CD and S208 / M aircraft, which rotary wing (helicopter) NH-500E, the future FAC carried out initial adaptation activities and familiarization with the basic procedures of real control of a flight setup. Further added value in their training in this phase is also constituted by the "familiarization" flights, in which the FAC learns and consequently also experiences the pilot's point of view (so-called "pilot view") in the realization of the CAS missions.
At the Monteromano polygon, where night-time activities were also held, in addition to the MB-339 project of the gliding group, visitors here were able to experience close air support operations conducted with tactical-wing A-109, AB205 assets , AB206 of the army aviation, stationed in Viterbo.
The entire training process also includes further application phases, scheduled in the coming months at national training areas, with the involvement of ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Recognition) flight arrangements such as the Predator, for the situation awareness of the area of operations and tactical assets such as the AMX.
See also the interview with the school commander
Source: PIO School of Aerocooperation, Maj. Antonio Caliandro
