Important joint training event between European nations using the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft in Bezmer
From 22 September to 3 October, the international exercise European Spartan 2025 (ESE 25), an important joint training event between European nations using the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft, took place at the Bezmer air base in Bulgaria.
For Italian Air Force crews, ESE 25 represented a strategic opportunity to refine Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) in a multinational context, strengthening interoperability and cooperation with other participating air forces. The activities took place in realistic and complex scenarios, which saw the joint participation of the Medical Team of the Main Infirmary of Pratica di Mare (RM), the personnel of the 46th Air Brigade, the Air Fusiliers of the 16th Wing “Protection of the Forces” and the Raiders of the 17th Wing, in a framework of full inter-force integration.
The Combat Control Team (CCT), made up of highly specialized Raider personnel, played a crucial role in simulating an infiltration into hostile territory. Operating in an abandoned airport, the team conducted a thorough Landing Zone Survey to assess the safety of the area and subsequently carried out the marking of the runway and Drop Zones, ensuring the effectiveness and accuracy of air-refueling operations via airdrop, as well as assault landings. The activities also included the recovery of wounded and compatriots, thanks to the management of tactical air traffic by the Raiders and the direct coordination with the C-27J crews
In this operational context, the Air Fusiliers ensured the protection of the aircraft and crew according to the NATO Force Protection for Air Operation doctrine. Employed as the Air Mobility Protection Team (AMPT), the Fusiliers operated both on board and on the ground, ensuring the safety of operations in semi-permissive and non-permissive environments, especially during the boarding phases of paratroopers and in Medical Evacuation (MedEvac) missions, operating in close collaboration with the medical team and flight crews.
The medical staff of the Main Infirmary of Pratica di Mare, made up of doctors, nurses and logistics technicians experienced in the field of medical transport of critical patients (MedEvac), worked in close synergy with the C-27J crews, the AMPTs and the CCTs. The simulations reproduced high-fidelity scenarios of exfiltration missions for wounded patients in a non-permissive operational environment (Tactical Evacuation Care – Evac) including the phases of flight planning, preparation of the aircraft in configuration for the transport of patients, clinical stabilization in the field and loading on board.
The European Spartan 2025 exercise thus confirmed the high level of integration achieved by the operational components of the Air Force and the ability of the C-27J system to ensure effectiveness, flexibility and security in complex international scenarios. A result that testifies, once again, to the constant commitment of the Italian Armed Forces to maintain operational standards of excellence and full readiness at the service of national and collective defense.
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