Lebanon: switch to ITALAIR

17/10/14

7 / 10 / 2014 - Today, in the presence of General Luciano Portolano, head of mission and force commander of UNIFIL, the ceremony of rotation between the two flight groups of ITALAIR, transferor and successor, both based on 2 ° regiment "Sirio" stationed in Lamezia Terme, during which Lieutenant Colonel Sabbi ceded the command to Lieutenant Colonel Ingrosso.

General Portolano, during his speech, expressed deep gratitude for the service rendered by the staff of the 42nd ITALAIR Task Group who "is preparing to return home after six intense months, during which he received the consent of the authorities and local population as well as the admiration of UNIFIL civilian and military personnel for the professionalism and commitment highlighted in carrying out the many operational activities, day and night ".

The ITALAIR Task Group is a structure of strategic importance, usable in different types of missions, with a rate of helicopters ready to take off in just 30 minutes from the moment of activation, 24 hours a day, able to intervene in all the area of operations.

Since last April, the 42 ° Task Group has carried out about 450 flight hours mostly for patrolling and monitoring of the UNIFIL and Blue Line operation area, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, but also for carry out transport missions, emergency medical evacuation and contingency intervention such as the search for missing persons and fire extinguishing.

In particular, starting this summer, following the launch of rockets towards the State of Israel near the Palestinian refugee camp, a few kilometers from the UNIFIL headquarters, the 42 ° Task Group conducted activities of CRLO (counter rocket launch operation), these are aerial reconnaissance missions aimed both at identifying the rocket launching areas and at carrying out an effective deterrent action.

Equally important was the activity carried out in favor of the local population as evidenced by the execution of missions of search shipwrecked at sea held in July and by the 9 emergency health evacuation interventions that the flight group has completed in these months.

Italy sent the first flight crews to Lebanon as far back as 3 July 1979, the date on which the first helicopter squadron, immediately named ITALAIR and equipped with AB 204, was called to replace a similar Norwegian flight unit, in response to the UN request under Resolutions 425 and 426.