The Italian Eurofighter fighter aircraft, belonging to the Task Force Air 36th Wing deployed in Šiauliai, Lithuania, are participating in NATO Operation “Neptune Strike 24-2”, scheduled for 24-31 October.
This international military operation is a demonstration of operational capability that has allowed to enhance the surveillance activity, strengthen the collaboration and improve the interoperability between the military forces of the countries of the Alliance, with the aim of increasing the deterrent capacity of NATO by demonstrating that it can guarantee a rapid and coordinated response in case of crisis.
Italy, with its Eurofighters Typhoon, played a leading role, contributing significantly to the air component of the operation. Several air cooperation activities were conducted in the Baltic Sea and Eastern Europe area with naval and land assets that aimed to increase interoperability and standardization through highly realistic training profiles in interception missions. All this in environments joint and combined multinationals that have seen the participation of fighter aircraft and personnel engaged in missions of Air Policing or deployed in various capacities in Europe and coming from America, Finland, England, France, and after the recent entry into NATO, also from Sweden.
The training conducted during the NATO operation “Neptune Strike 24-2” is not a simple military training, but a concrete demonstration of international cooperation, where the Armed Forces of different Nations have joined together to refine their capabilities, demonstrating a strong will to strengthen the NATO security apparatus in the Baltics, increase the readiness of the Allied Forces, deter aggression and demonstrate the Alliance's commitment to the defense and protection of all its Member States.
THEAir Policing (AP) is a capability that NATO has acquired and consists in the integration of the national Air Defense systems of member countries into a single air defense system. Specifically, the Task Force Air 36th Wing will see approximately one hundred and fifty pilots, technical and logistical personnel deployed from 1 August 2024.
Under the coordination of operational command of interforce forces (COVI) and through the use of four EF-2000 aircraft Typhoon Coming from the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle, the 4th Wing of Grosseto, the 37th Wing of Trapani and the 51st Wing of Istrana, the Italian Air Force contributes to controlling the borders of the Alliance. In approximately three months of activity, these assets have accounted for over 700 flight hours between real operations and exercises, and 28 immediate take-offs on alert (in technical jargon “scramble”).
