On Thursday 18 February the military airport of Rivolto (UD), seat of the 2nd wing, was the theater for the Eagle Ace, a multinational and joint force exercise that involved personnel and assets of the Air Force, the Italian Army and the US Armed Forces.
The training activity, of the "Mass Attack" type (also called JFE, Joint Forcible Entry) first provided for the alerting and movement of American air troops of the US Army from 173rd infantry brigade combat team (Airborne) of Vicenza for the Aviano air base (PN) and then the boarding of about 130 paratroopers on C360J tactical transport aircraft of the USAF (United States Air Force), divided as follows: 320 Americans of the 173rd IBCT (A) of Vicenza, 19 of the 16th flock of Martina Franca (TA), 3 of the 3rd flock of Villafranca of Verona, 16 of the 4th Alpine parachute regiment of Montorio Veronese (VR).
The aviation activity was aimed at implementing the exchange of aircraft assets and individual equipment; the 360 paratroopers, once on the ground, started the tactical activities of taking the airport, making it safe and controlling it.
The exercise also saw the involvement of the SPADA Air Defense System of the 2nd wing, of two aircraft Tornado IDS of the 6th wing of Ghedi (BS), of two AMX of the 51st wing of Istrana (TV) and, finally, of two F-16 of the 31st Fighter Wing of Aviano.
Among the Air Launched Fusiliers a team with capacity Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) which, together with a counterpart team from the USAF, operated within a complex exercise scenario managing the in-flight assets in Close Air Support (CAS) operations, ie "guided from the ground" in attack missions simulated aircraft against enemy targets in support and in the vicinity of friendly forces deployed on the ground.
The aim of the entire exercise event, which is part of the training activities of the US Army specifically defined in the bilateral "Annual Training Plan" (ATP) agreement of the US Armed Forces stationed in Italy, was to practice operating in multinational contexts with increasingly standardized procedures.
The staff of the 2nd wing guaranteed support for operations by providing both air navigation assistance services and the logistical and health assistance on the ground, in order to ensure the performance of all activities in safety and in full compliance with the regulations in force. force on the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic.
