Italian F-35Bs on ITS Cavour identified itamilradar by itamilradar May 30, 2022 in Italian AF, Italian Navy This photo was released by the NATO Striking and support forces account. The ITS Cavour (C-550) is seen during the ‘Open Sea’ exercise. We had already noted in a previous article that both an F-35B of the Italian Navy and one of the Italian Air Force were present on the Cavour but had not been able to identify the aircraft. Today, thanks to this new photo we can say that the F-35B of the Italian Navy has the registration MM7454 (first flight October 2021) while that of the Italian Air Force has the registration MM7453 (first flight September 2019) This is not the first time that an Italian Air Force F-35B has operated from the aircraft carrier Cavour. It has already happened, for example, last November (we talked about it here) The final Italian goal is to create a single task force with aircraft from the Navy and the Air Force.
NATO Air Policing: SMA chief visiting TFA Iceland Italian F-35As in Iceland for a month defending NATO Airspace with Operation Northern Lightning III Keflavik, May 31, 2022 One month after achieving Full Operational Capability (FOC), which is the certification required to ensure the safety of the Icelandic skies as part of Air Policing activities, Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Force General Luca Goretti, accompanied by the Logistics Commander, Air Force General Roberto Comelli and the Defense Attaché at the Italian Embassy in London, Air Brigadier General Enrico Pederzolli, met with the men and women of Task Force Air - Iceland. Since the start of Operation Northern Lightning III at Keflavik Air Base, the commitment of the Italian contingent, risked in Iceland to preserve the integrity of NATO airspace in peacetime, strengthening the surveillance activity of the skies of Iceland, which has no air defense capabilities of its own, has continued seamlessly, conducting, in the meantime, joint training activities with the Icelandic Coast Guard and NATO forces present in the theater of operations. These 30 days were marked by 100 percent maintenance efficiency of the F-35A weapon system, which ensured, despite the peculiarities of the activities related to the deployment outside national borders, the achievement of 250 flight hours in a single month for the four aircraft deployed in the Operation. The extraordinary milestone was achieved thanks to the professionalism of the technical and logistical personnel and the daily commitment of all the men and women of the Air Force who were redeployed to Iceland. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force expressed his satisfaction with the important milestone: "It is a source of deep pride to meet the men and women of the Air Force here in Iceland where once again the Armed Force is giving its best by demonstrating its potential and the operational capability it is able to put in place. The F-35 Line is now an undisputed and incontrovertible reality of the Air Force landscape, widely recognized by the NATO coalition, and I have to acknowledge that I am really proud of how we have been able to achieve these results in such a short time. General Goretti added, "The achievement of such ambitious goals in such a short time is possible thanks to the constant training and truly unique preparation of our personnel. Indispensable is the choral effort of the entire Air Force that brings together both the operational component and the logistics of adherence, the fundamental element that allows an Armed Force to be projectable and risky anywhere and in a very short time. And the demonstration is right here in Iceland." In fact, after those in 2019 and 2020, the current one is the third deployment to Iceland for the 32nd Amendola Wing's F-35As, the longest deployment to date. The 13th Flight Group, which has already gained considerable experience in the international arena by participating in NATO Air Policing activities in Iceland and Estonia, in addition to ensuring QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) service from its parent base, continues in parallel to train its crews for the multiple and additional uses that the platform allows. During the visit, as a testament to the deep synergy between the Air Force and the Icelandic Coast Guard, General H.H. Goretti met with the Deputy Commander of Keflavik Air Base, T.Col. Marvin Ingólfsson.
22 June 2022 We had the unique chance to see how the Italian Tornado ECRs team up with the F-35s to carry out a SEAD mission.
“Wild Weasel” is a code name given by the United States Air Force to an aircraft of any type, equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) mission: destroying the radar and Surface-to-Air Missile installations of enemy air defense systems. Within the Italian Air Force, the Wild Weasel mission is assigned to the 155° Gruppo ETS (Electronic Warfare Tactical Suppression) “Pantere Nere” (“Black Panthers”) of the 6° Stormo (Wing) based in Ghedi Air Base, northern Italy. The squadron operates with the Tornado ECR MLU RET8.
08 Jun 2022, 19:03
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