ROME: Italian Eurofighters are the first to successfully pass NATO’s operational assessment and they are now ready to be deployed abroad for peace-keeping and peace-making operations.
This is an excellent result for the Eurofighter Typhoon, the aircraft designed, developed and produced by a four-nation consortium whose members are UK, Germany, Spain and Italy with Alenia Aeronautica’s participation with a 21% industrial share.
An Atlantic Alliance’s evaluation team – within the “Operation Discrete Jury” exercise – has fully certified the Italian Air Force’s 4th Fighter Wing at the Grosseto Base as NATO Quick Response Force. This way the 4th Air Wing becomes the first flight unit with Eurofighter aircraft in service to obtain this important NATO certification.
The exercise has involved many activities carried out at Grosseto Base: rescue and telecommunication services, self-defence and survival capabilities, but above all logistic support, maintenance and flight operations. In this very field the operations of the Grosseto Base’s Typhoons have been positively evaluated, having demonstrated excellent operational availability and full compliance with Italian Air Force and NATO’s operational requirements.
The 4th Air Wing, together with the 5th Wing of Cervia, the 36th of Gioia del Colle and the 37th of Trapani, is one of the units assigned to the surveillance of the Italian air space, thus assuring aerial defence all year round, 24 hours-a-day.
Giovanni Bertolone, Alenia Aeronautica’s CEO, has commented: “We are very much satisfied for this important acknowledgement – to both the Italian Air Force and in particular to all the staff of the Grosseto Base – and to the Eurofighter Typhoon’s operational capabilities – which confirms it as the most advanced new-generation air defence aircraft and perfectly complying with NATO’s strict requirements”.
Alenia Aeronautica is national leader in the airplane’s development and production programme, with a 21% industrial share. The company is responsible for the left wing manufacturing, the design and building of the rear fuselage together with BAE Systems, the design and integration of some onboard systems, such as armament and navigation, as well as the integration of the whole propelling system. The Italian company is also responsible for the final assembly of all Italian Air Force airplanes.
