From 21 to 26 September in the municipalities of Avezzano, Sulmona and Scanno assets of the Armed Forces together with the Alpine troops of the ANA and the personnel of the Civil Protection of the Abruzzo Region participate in the exercise Vardirex 2020 (Various Disaster Relief Management Exercise), now in its third edition.
Vardirex is a joint and inter-agency exercise that aims to test the response in the field by the Armed Forces and the Department of Civil Protection in the event of an alert for public disasters.
They are busy Military Alpine Rescue Teams (SSAM), rescuers of the Alpine troops of the Italian Army joined by elements of the Civil Protection of the Abruzzo Region who will also make use of the volunteers of theNational Alpine Association (A-N-A).
The Army's contribution is centered on the presence of the Alpine troops who deploy about 150 men belonging to the “Vicenza” multifunction battalion of the 9th Alpine regiment of the “Taurinense” Alpine Brigade. These are joined by the pilots of the AVES (Army Aviation). Helicopters for firefighting and rescue participate in the Navy.
The Italian Air Force sees an AMX aircraft from the 51st squadron of Istrana, a C-27J aircraft from the 46th air brigade of Pisa and an HH-139 helicopter from the 15th flock of Cervia engaged. A command and control structure was set up at the airport of L'Aquila for the direction and coordination of all helicopters involved in the exercise.
In this context, on 25 September in Scanno, a collaboration document will be signed between the Alpine troops of the Army and theNational Alpine Association, agreement aimed at defining in detail what has already been implemented so far and functional for the coordination and resolution of the emergency crisis.
