A total of 11 helicopters of which 2 foreign, 48 hours of flight and 65 day and night missions are the numbers of the exercise Griffon 2023 to simulate scenarios that are all the more similar to possible emergencies Search and Rescue real.
Pilots and crews from the Air Force (with 2 TH-500B and one HH-139B), from the Army Air Force (1 NH-90), from the Navy (1 MH-90A), from the Carabinieri (1 AW- 139), by the State Police (1 AW-139) and by the Guardia di Finanza (1 AW-169 and 1 AW-139) operated together with 1 A-555 of the French Armée de l'Air and de l'Espace and 1 S-76 from the Spanish Ejercito del Aire y del Espacio, proving the international character of the event.
430 specialists involved in various capacities in the complex organization and preparation of the Advanced Base Station (PBA) inside the “G. Moscardini”, headquarters of the 72nd wing, an organization that provided considerable logistical support. And then again staff of the corps of volunteer nurses of the CRI (AASAR qualified), healthcare personnel of ARES 118 Lazio, of the Italian Red Cross, volunteers of the Volunteer Emergency Response Federation of the Civil Protection of Lazio; even a group of 6 "survivors" - as part of the exercise scenarios - carried out a mountain survival training module.
Some phases of the exercise were also attended by 15 foreign observers from 8 partner nations and representatives of the rescue coordination centers of Spain, France and Switzerland.
As highlighted by the director of the exercise, Colonel Giacomo Zanetti, the Grifone è “an opportunity open to the whole world of Search and Rescue. It is used to get to know each other better and train as a single team, exchanging experiences, techniques, procedures for the noble purpose of safeguarding human life".
The helicopters - coordinated by the AM - and the ground teams - coordinated by the CNSAS of Lazio - used areas of the Simbruini Mountains and the Lepini Mountains to cover all the possible types of operational missions in an impervious environment, once again highlighting the competence and technical skills of all participants.
