The Technical Section of Siauliai's Task Force Air brought back into operation a "Typhoon" Eurofighter deployed in Lithuania for the "Baltic Border" operation, which had suffered a breakdown. The event, very rare for the Eurofighter aircraft, which can boast a very high efficiency compared to similar weapon systems, had happened during an operational flight on the Baltic skies.
In synergy with the competent bodies of the logistic and maintenance chain of the Air Force and the industrial component, in a short time the specialists of the Task Force Air, assisted by a small support team from Italy, carried out the necessary and important interventions of maintenance, which is normally carried out at the maintenance departments of a technical level higher than that required for an operating theater. This event highlighted, once again, the excellent ability to redeploy the weapon system as a whole (so-called "deployability").
After having successfully passed the latest tests on flight and avionics controls, the aircraft was declared efficient by the responsible technical flight officer. The Typhoon has therefore returned to Italy where further checks are expected before returning fully operational.
Colonel Vito Cracas, commander of the Siauliai Task Force, expressed words of appreciation for all the specialists who worked and worked for the full efficiency of the Eurofighters, said: "together with commitment, dedication and sincere team spirit that sets us apart, you have demonstrated a level of competence, effectiveness and efficiency, difficult to reach in a redeployment, with logistic and environmental conditions not comparable to those of your Departments. I am sincerely proud of you! ".
From 1 January 2015, Italian fighters take part in the NATO "Baltic Air Policing" operation for the surveillance of Allied airspace on the Baltic, ensuring the air defense of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, member countries of the Alliance that cannot provide for this task with its own forces. Italy participates continuously in these operations also in the skies of Slovenia from 2004 and Albania from the 2009, while it has already been engaged in Iceland in the 2013. With the contribution provided by the "Baltic Frontier" Operation, Italy is the only Alliance nation that currently participated in all four NATO "Air Policing Operations".
