From 7 to 10 July a Firepower Control Team (FCT) of the 1st regiment Saint Mark of the Navy, participated in the exercise Composite Air Operations (COMAO) 20-07. COMAO is a complex aerial activity planned and conducted by the Aereospace Operations Command (COA) of the Air Force of Poggio Renatico (FE) with primary purpose the interaction of aerial assets engaged in the conduct of multiple simultaneous missions.
Given the complexity of the operation, numerous national air assets were used, including Eurofighter-2000, Tornado and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) MQ-9 - Remote Piloted Aircraft. During the COMAO operation, all Air Force aircraft cooperated to protect and preserve the integrity of the designated airspace.
The training scenario included the conduct of offensive air operations aimed at neutralizing specific objectives. The team of the 1st regiment Saint Mark consisting of 2 Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) and 4 Support Fire Watchers (OFS), infiltrated into hostile territory, had the task of acquiring, identifying and engaging targets through fixed-wing assets in support of sensitive targets on the simulated battlefield.
The team through satellite communications to a liaison cell of the marine brigade Saint Mark established at the operational center of the AOC of Poggio Renatico updated the command of the simulated operation by constantly increasing the situational awareness.
The inter-force exercise allowed the soldiers of all the Armed Forces to work synergistically, constantly confronting each other with a view to standardizing tactics, techniques and procedures, thus increasing the capabilities of the Italian national air and land Defense.
The FCT of the marine brigade Saint Mark are teams of the company "Paratroopers Swimmers" of the 1st regiment, military prepared for the conduct, coordination and control of land, sea and air fire sources, which can be infiltrated on the battlefield by sea, by land and by air, in order to acquire, identify and engage fundamental objectives for the success of amphibious operations.
Within the teams there are operators Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC). It is a highly specialized military figure in the integration and use of air support fire. The JTAC has the ability to direct the actions of combat aircraft engaged in from an advanced position Close Air Support (CAS) and other offensive actions "like thunder from the sky" - like thunder from heaven.
The JTAC of the marine brigade Saint Mark, called in jargon "thunder", they undergo a complex training process at the Joint Air Operation School (JAOS) of the Air Force of Guidonia (RM) or at the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group (EWTG) in the United States of America Once qualified, they undergo constant and demanding training in order to maintain a very high level of preparation, the updated qualification and to be ready to be used in any type of scenario.
