MILITARY ITALIAN F-35A LIGHTNING II
48 | http://www.airinternational.combut also does so quickly by exploiting the
experiences of other operators as logged in
the system.
Operational progress achieved by 13°
Gruppo to date is certainly notable and here
is why. In March 2018, the squadron achieved
two significant events. On the first day of the
month, the squadron was formally accepted
into the Servizio di Sorveglianza dello Spazio
Aereo (SSSA, Airspace Surveillance Service)
and tasked to provide Quick Reaction Alert
service with armed aircraft, to defend and
protect Italian airspace, during calendar-based
rotations. Seven days later, the squadron
started its first F-35 training detachment
to Decimomannu Air Base on the island of
Sardinia. Four aircraft were deployed for two
weeks, during which the pilots utilised the
training areas and ranges in and around the
island. Described by Colonel Marzinotto as
excellent, he said it enabled the squadron
to lay another brick in the construction of
its operational capability with the F-35A. He
also said: “We deployed to another base forthe first time and mounted operations from
there. This was a first step, which allowed
us to verify the correct functionality of the
technical and logistical support system. We
undertook advanced training, serviceability
was excellent, we completed all the activities
we had planned and managed to achieve all
of our set objectives.”
While at Decimomannu, 13° Gruppo
performed a variety of training missions
including air-to-air, CAS and some involving
use of the aircraft’s electronic warfare
systems against a threat laydown provided by
threat emitters and systems operated on the
Poligono Interforze del Salto di Quirra range.
Despite the measures of success afforded
to the F-35A aircraft, pilots who fly the plane
that have spoken to AIR International all
rate the aircraft as excellent. It’s the support
personnel, maintainers and pilots – the
human element – that make the weapon
system function to its best. All Italian
personnel are trained to the highest level and
this level is maintained.Aeronautica Militare pilots chosen to fly
the F-35 are currently selected from other
combat types. They undergo operational
conversion on to the aircraft at the
International Training Center at Luke with
the US Air Force’s 62nd Fighter Squadron,
which has four Italian F-35A aircraft and
five instructor pilots assigned. Italian pilots,
like their Australian, Japanese, Norwegian
and American colleagues, follow the same
course, which provides type conversion and
basic training on the aircraft’s employment
and graduate qualified at limited combat
readiness standard. Follow-on training to full
combat readiness standard is conducted with
13° Gruppo, thanks to a flexible and modular
programme that enables pilots to achieve
their objective in around four months.
The syllabus is structured into packages,
which can be completed in a flexible and
non-sequential way, enabling adaption to
operational requirements, even exploiting
exercises that are underway or opportunities
provided by other programmed activities.