Since last 9 September, the Istrana airport grounds, home of the 51st Wing of the Italian Air Force, have hosted an important air exercise that was conducted jointly with the air assets of the Swiss Air Force
SIFEX 2024 was an important opportunity for integration between the Air Force and that of a non-NATO country, which made it possible to refine coordination and interoperability activities, promoting an exchange of technical and procedural knowledge between Air Forces from neighboring countries.
For the SWISS AIR FORCE it was the first redeployment in Italy and the choice of Istrana was determined by the operational role played by the 51st Wing and the technical and logistical support capabilities that the department would have been able to offer.
The Italian Air Force participated with F2000 aircraft of the 51st Wing of Istrana (TV) and the 37th Wing of Trapani (TP), as well as with F-35A assets of the 6th Wing of Ghedi (BS) and crews of the 4th Wing of Grosseto and the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle (BA), while the Swiss Air Force deployed four F18 aircraft. There were numerous daily sorties flown from Istrana airport which made it possible to total over 120 joint missions between Italian and Swiss crews over the time span of the exercise.
The 51st Wing of Istrana, in addition to the F2000 aircraft of the 132nd Flight Group, guaranteed logistical and operational support to the F18 aircraft, representing a further moment of integration between the two air forces.
At the end of the exercise, the Commander of the 51st Wing, Pilot Colonel Fabio De Luca, thanked the staff of the Department and the Swiss team for the commitment, professionalism and motivation shown during the training activity, emphasizing the effort made by everyone and the important opportunity that the exercise itself represented for the Air Force and the Swiss Air Force.
The 51st Wing of Istrana is under the command of the Combat Forces Command (CFC) of Milan, whose assigned mission is to acquire and maintain the operational readiness of all air defense and attack and reconnaissance bodies, providing for the operational efficiency of weapon systems, vehicles and materials, as well as the training of personnel and the constant updating and optimization of operational procedures, in compliance with the guidelines of the SS. AA. The CFC is under the Air Squadron Command, which exercises the responsibilities in the field of training, preparation and operational preparation of its Departments, so that they acquire and maintain the expected levels of operational readiness. The 51st Wing, equipped with an F2000 aircraft, in addition to support to surface forces and attack and reconnaissance operations, is one of the five Air Force Wings that ensure national air defense and NATO Quick Reaction Alert service.
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