The “Summer Tempest - 2016” exercise was concluded, an activity aimed at verifying the units' ability to use in combat, planning the execution of the entire spectrum of military operations and testing the digital command and control systems of the Forza NEC program (Network Enabled Capability).
The exercise was conducted in two successive phases: the Command Post Exercise (CPX) in Solbiate Olona (VA) which had the purpose of verifying the capacity of the Born Rapid Deployable Corps Italy (NRDC-ITA) in the planning and conduct of high intensity operations such as Land Component Command (LCC), terrestrial component of the new "enhanced" NATO Response Force (eNRF), an "advanced" military rapid reaction instrument which, due to its speed of intervention and deployable operational capabilities, allows the Alliance to face any threat in response to crises with very short deployment times.
The LIVEX phase carried out in Capo Teulada has developed through a series of deployment simulations and in-focus use of the units in different operational scenarios, to refine the execution capabilities of the different intervention modes, test the technical tactical procedures of the different specialties Army weapon and to experiment with new digital technologies for managing operations.
The Ariete brigade has practiced what Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), a key land component of the eNRF. The task of the VJTF will be to ensure NATO's first and immediate response to possible threats, with the ability to deploy the entire military device between the 5 and the 15 days from the order notice.
About 3000 Army men and women employed during the exercise. In addition to traditional carts Ram and to the artillery pieces, combat vehicles were used Dart, Arrow, attack helicopters like the Mongoose and mortar units, which have shown, overall, the remarkable capacity for cooperation between tank units, artillery, air support units and infantry units.
Within the activities connected with the Tactical Technical Experimentation Campaign of the "Forza NEC" program, the digitalised command and control systems were tested and integrated in the various combat vehicles.
Numerous civil and military authorities were present, including the army corps general Riccardo Marchiò, commander of the Operation of Terrestrial Operations Forces e Army Operations Center, the director of the Land Armaments, Lieutenant General Francesco Castrataro and the commander of NRDC-ITA, division general Roberto Perretti.
The performance of the exercise saw, at the same time, the performance of other main training events such as the "Eagle Meteor", "Stupor Mundi", "Shardana", "Circe", "Galileo", "CBRN" and "Mouflon".
The armed force has opened the participation in the event to various Partner and Allied countries such as US Army Europe (USAEUR) and Slovenia which participated in the LIVEX phase with their tactical assets.
