As part of the Bilateral Cooperation Plan between Italy and Malta signed for the year 2018, promoted by the Italian Collaboration Mission in the Defense Field (MICCD), an air rescue crew of the Maltese Armed Forces carried out from 23 to 27 July a joint training activity with the crews of the 82nd CSAR Center (Combat Search and Rescue) of Trapani Birgi, one of the Air Force departments responsible for air search and rescue, for a mutual sharing of their respective experiences and operating procedures.
The training program, which saw Italians and Maltese flying in mixed crews on their respective helicopters, in the two versions AW-139 Maltese and HH-139 Italian, was divided into different flight missions, both day and night, with recovery exercises carried out especially on land and in mountainous areas.
During the night missions the Maltese crews were able to appreciate the usefulness and the potential offered by the use of the special night vision goggles - Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) - with which the crews of the SAR Centers of the Italian Air Force routinely operate both on land that on the sea.
