Respectively under the 4th wing of Grosseto and the 36th wing of Gioia del Colle, the two new instructors had to face a long and articulated course which was structured on a theoretical phase and a flight practice; the latter organized and managed by the 20th OCU group (Operational Conversion Unit) - Standardization and Operational Tactics Section - of the 4th wing, with the support of the Weapon Instructors employed by other departments that use the fighter Euro Fighter.
The WIC course allowed attendees to acquire specific skills in solving tactical problems, through the application of different planning methodologies in the exercise of leadership, in the roles of Mission Commander (MC) and Team Leader (TL) and in organizational and communication skills, especially in contexts of Large Force Employment (LFE) where there are different types of aircraft, with different capabilities that the Mission Commander must be able to manage, coordinate and make interoperable, to obtain the maximum effectiveness and success of the activity.
Completion of this course enables trained pilots to be able to fill the roles of Tactical Mentor, i.e. consultants to the wing and group commander for the optimal management of the Weapon System capabilities in more or less complex tactical scenarios, while ensuring operational standardization for the Line Euro Fighter.
The 40th edition of the WIC course was characterized by the online introduction of the new P2E software and the possibility for frequent pilots to be able to participate in the Missile launch campaign Iris T.; this activity is managed by the Systems Section of the 20th OCU group of the 4th wing.
The theoretical phase of the course, to management Air Warfare Center (AWC), has foreseen a series of lessons with all the participants in the course coming from various Armed Forces Entities. At the end of this phase, a specific F2000A phase was followed at the experimental flight department (software management group), which has allowed instructors to perfect their knowledge of the avionics systems of the Weapon System and related Mission Data, i.e. all the data necessary for the correct functioning of the devices, thanks to the teachings of highly qualified Armed Forces personnel in collaboration with that of the Leonardo company.
Flight training, on the other hand, was divided into three distinct phases. An initial first phase with combat Within Visual Range (WVR), which also envisaged "dissimilar" missions, i.e. with aircraft other than fighters, therefore with the T-346A of the 212th flight group of the 61st wing.
The advanced phase, on the other hand, allowed frequent instructors to use the "Beyond Visual Range" for the resolution of tactical problems, peculiar to each mission that the aircraft can carry out, through the application of different planning methodologies.
This phase was in turn divided into a first part characterized by simulator activities with the support of the ACS company and Leonardo operators, together with qualified JTAC personnel of the 17th Incursori wing for the execution of specific air-ground missions, and a second part characterized instead by the real flight activity carried out in the "Typhoon Flag 22" exercise at the 36th wing of Gioia del Colle (BA), where missions were also flown with the F35A aircraft of the 13th group of the 32nd ° flock of Amendola (FG) to favor the integration between 4th and 5th generation assets. In this phase various departments were involved such as the 14th wing of Pratica di Mare, with CAEW and KC-767A assets, as well as the ground forces of the Italian Army belonging to the 3rd "Savoia Cavalleria" regiment as well as the Special Forces of the 185° RRAO.
The final phase of the course ended with a complex mission (COMAO/LFE) for an integrated and combined use with other assets. This phase was carried out during the "Cobra Warrior 22-2" exercise where the visitors were able to manage the aircraft participating in the COMAO, covering the roles of Team Leader and Mission Commander in different types of mission such as: Integrated Air Missile Defense, Air Interdiction, Dynamic Targeting, Strategic Attack, NEO, Personal Recovery, Escort with Royal Air Force, German Air Force and USAFE assets.
The course then concluded with the delivery of a thesis assigned during the theoretical phase.
The 20th OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) group, as part of the 4th wing which depends on the command of combat forces (CFC) of Milan, has the task of training the pilots assigned to the F-2000 line ensuring standardization between the operational departments Euro Fighter, contribute to the national airspace surveillance service, ensure advanced training through Weapon Instructor Courses, validate and coordinate the implementation of new tactics, techniques and procedures as well as support the experimental flight department during the operational verification campaigns of the F-2000 Weapon System.
