The agreement strengthens interoperability and collaboration with NATO partners and regulates the provision of training courses to Lithuanian Air Force pilots at the Air Transport Training School of Pratica di Mare.
The Technical Arrangement (TA) between the Ministry of Defence of the Italian Republic and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Lithuania relating to the “Flight training of the Lithuanian Air Force Military Personnel in Italy” was signed on Monday 19 January at the Sala delle Costellazioni Minori of the Palazzo Aeronautica, in Rome. The document was signed, separately, by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Antonio Conserva and the Chief of Staff of the Lithuanian Air Force, Colonel Antanas Matutis.
The agreement regulates the provision of training courses for Lithuanian Air Force (LTAF) pilots, with particular reference to the MPL – Phase III (ME-MP) – Military Pilot License and MCC – Multi Crew Coordination training activities, provided within the Air Force training pipeline.
The Italian training proposal in the field of flight training has been the key element in defining cooperation with the LTAF, making it necessary to update the regulatory framework. The agreement replaces and updates the previous document of 2013, which is no longer suitable to fully meet the training and operational needs of the parties.
The TA will come into force on the date of signature and will regulate all the courses of the training process described, provided by the 204th Flight Group at the Air Transport Training School (SATA), on the grounds of Pratica di Mare, in favor of Lithuanian personnel, and will have an indefinite duration, giving continuity and stability to bilateral cooperation.
The signing of this agreement provides a solid regulatory, administrative and procedural framework for all activities related to the provision of training to LTAF staff. It contributes to consolidating the international recognition of the high quality of the Italian Air Force’s training offer, strengthening the strategic link with a NATO member state of fundamental importance for collective security. The breadth and quality of the training offered are recognized by numerous allied air forces which, in recent years, have chosen Italy for the training of their military pilots, in line with similar initiatives already illustrated through agreements with other allied nations.
SATA, a structure dependent on the AM Schools Command / 3rd Air Region of Bari, uses modern P-180 “EVO+” aircraft for advanced training on multi-engine aircraft, aimed at obtaining the military pilot license according to the new IPTS 2020 process. The school also provides “Multi Crew” training, ensuring the standardization of training in the operational lines and the achievement of qualifications and flight licenses recognized by ENAC. The cooperation with Lithuania is part of the broader framework of Italian activities and participation in the Baltic area, where the Air Force continues to strengthen interoperability and collaboration with NATO partners, as also demonstrated by the Air Policing and joint training activities conducted in recent years on Lithuanian territory.
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