Two fighter aircraft Eurofighter of the 36th Wing at Gioia del Colle (BA) intercepted an aircraft in the vicinity of Trapani that had lost radio communication with the Air Traffic Control authorities.
At around 16.20 yesterday, the two Air Force fighter planes, on alert duty over Italy, received an order to identify the aircraft in transit through Italian airspace with which communications from the ground had broken down. The interception took place in the vicinity of Trapani. A few minutes after the order was received in flight, the two interceptor fighters made visual contact with the aircraft, thus establishing that the latter was not in an emergency or dangerous condition. Once the aircraft was identified, the two fighters escorted it out of the country.
To reduce intervention times the two Eurofighter have been cleared for supersonic flight. The breaking of the sound barrier was perceived in the Eboli (SA) area.
The order came from the CAOC (Combined Air Operation Center) in Torrejon, the NATO body responsible for the surveillance of the skies in the area, and the intervention of the aircraft was controlled from the operations room of the 22nd Air Force Radar Group in Licola.
The two Eurofighters received the order to intercept the aircraft - called a scramble in technical jargon - while they were already in the air for planned training. Air Force aircraft in fact have the ability to intervene quickly and flexibly at any time, and as required, on orders from the Air Defence chain of command and control.
The Air Force ensures the surveillance of national airspace 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, with an integrated defence system, even in peacetime, with that of other NATO countries. The service is guaranteed - for surveillance, identification and control - by the 11th Integrated Air Defence Missile Group (DAMI) in Poggio Renatico (FE) and the 22nd Radar Group in Licola (NA), while air operations are ensured by the 4th Wing in Grosseto, the 36th Wing in Gioia del Colle and the 37th Wing in Trapani Birgi, all equipped with fighter aircraft Eurofighter.
