On Wednesday 25 August 2021, at the Decimomannu Military Airport (CA), the joint exercise was held between the crews of the 80th CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) Center of the 15th wing and the men of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS).
The activity, foreseen in the annual joint training program between the air rescue departments of the Italian Air Force and the CNSAS, has the purpose of training and perfecting the cooperation between the flight crews and the ground rescue teams, which could find themselves to operate in flight on the occasion of missions such as search for missing persons in an inaccessible environment, recovery of injured persons from mountain walls and interventions following natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
The crews of the 80th CSAR, which have been flying on the new HH139 helicopter since June, operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, to guarantee rescue on land and sea in all weather conditions, and make use of the indispensable collaboration of the CNSAS teams whenever the mission requires to operate in inaccessible areas. It is therefore essential to train periodically in order to be ready to intervene safely and promptly when necessary for real emergency needs.
The exercise allowed the new members of the CNSAS teams to familiarize themselves with the helicopter, and the veterans to refine the techniques of operation with the rescue winch, an indispensable aid where the helicopter landing is impossible, as often happens in the area. Montana.
The 80th CSAR Center is one of the departments of the 15th wing of the Air Force which guarantees every single day of the year, the search and rescue of flight crews in difficulty, and contributes to public utility activities such as the search for missing at sea or in the mountains, the emergency medical transport of patients in danger of life and the rescue of seriously traumatized patients. Since its inception, the crews of the 15th flock have saved around 7.300 people in danger of life. The 15th Wing operates under the Mobility and Support Force Command (CFMS) of the Air Squad Command.
