a new cargo apron and the extension
of the taxiways. A new squadron
operations center is now expected and
additional aprons with shelters will be
opened up to improve hosting during
winter operations. The dilapidated
Soviet-era shelters currently to be found
in that area of the base are in a poor
state and are too small for NATO aircraft.
In the meantime, the infrastructure
is viewed as su cient. Zaniboni says,
‘The squadron operations center
and the structure for the QRA [quick
reaction alert] has the aircraft parked in
four hangars.’
The squadrons slot into a well-
established command and control
structure, which is just as well given
that the latest Italian detachment was
required to spin up fast. Just a day after
their arrival the F-2000As declared initial
operational capability. ‘Time was very
tight’, says Zaniboni. ‘The rotation with
the Belgians who preceded us was xed
and there was no time for cohabitation.
On January 7 and 8 we ew some
familiarization ights and from January
9 we began the surveillance service in
the Baltic airspace’.Zaniboni says that it was possible to
slot into the QRA role thanks to the high
level of standardization within the Italian
Euro ghter community. ‘Our mission
provides a guarantee of a pair of aircraft
ready to take o in a few minutes to
intercept aircraft that have not readily
identi ed themselves or who have not
contacted air tra c control or have not
submitted a ight plan.’
The Euro ghters executed their rst
alert launch to respond to a Russian
aircraft on February 1. That day an
unidenti ed track was spotted by
NATO radar, with the Combined Air
Operations Centre (CAOC) at Uedem,
Germany, ordering the Italians to launch
and intercept. ‘The pilots identi ed a
Russian Navy An-26 transport aircraft’,
Zaniboni recalls. ‘Once intercepted, they
approached the target from the rear at
a safe distance to verify what type of
aircraft it was, the position, the altitude,
heading, speed, serial number and
the nationality’. Even missile serials are
gathered in the case of a ghter being
intercepted.
On this occasion, the F-2000s
shadowed the Antonov and used theirAbove left: A
live scramble
on March 2
to intercept
a Russian
intelligence-
gathering
Il-20M ‘Coot’.
Aeronautica
Militare
Below: This
Eurofi ghter carries
a pair of live BGT
IRIS-T missiles
and a pair of
AIM-120
AMRAAMs.COMBAT REPORT // BALTIC AIR POLICING
56 May 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
54-57 Italian Typhoons C.indd 56 21/03/2018 10:53