Page 85 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

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1: Contrails stream as the Lightning II pair breaks from formation behind the C-130J camera ship. In contrast with the Baltic Air Policing mission, which
involves continuous coverage, the Icelandic government only requests an average of three air policing deployments annually. 2: Operation Northern Lightning
was the first time Italian Lightning IIs had been deployed under NATO command. The jet’s ability to pass and receive information to and from the command

and control chain in real time meant pilots had the necessary information to complete an intercept even before visual identification. 3: Specially marked F-35A

MM7357 (AL-7, FMS 14-5108) ‘32-07’ basks in the sun outside one of Keflavik’s hardened aircraft shelters. The jet received its non-standard tail markings,
including the 13° Gruppo’s Don Quixote emblem, to celebrate the squadron’s centenary in 2017. 4: A pilot of the Task Force Air (TFA) 32nd Wing poses in front
of his jet. Aircrew were provided with a Tacconi neoprene immersion suit, a prerequisite for flying over the sea when the water temperature is below 13°C.

for the TFA 32nd Wing was declared on October of the team from Combined Air Operations QRA and training activity
1. FOC, which confirmed the detachment Centre Uedem and of our Icelandic hosts.” From October 2 to 24, when the transfer
was ready to conduct NATO’s peacetime Lt Gen Pascal Delerce, deputy commander of of authority (TOA) brought the Italian
Icelandic air policing mission, was declared NATO’s AIRCOM, the entity that oversees all detachment’s air policing duties to an end, the
on October 2, two days ahead of schedule. alliance air policing, attended the ceremony, F-35s provided peacetime quick reaction alert-
The mission readiness certificate was handed along with Italy’s chief of defence, Lt Gen intercept (QRA-I) readiness with at least two
over by Lt Col Wilhelm May from NATO’s Enzo Vecciarelli. In his speech, Lt Gen aircraft armed with a pair of live AIM-120C-5
CAOC to the TFA commander, Col Stefano Delerce said: “For the first time the F-35, a AMRAAMs (Advanced Medium-Range Air-
Spreafico, on October 5, during a ceremony modern fifth-generation fighter aircraft, is to-Air Missiles) in the internal weapons bay.
at Keflavik. Speaking during the event, Col going to be employed by NATO to safeguard This is the same standard conventional load
Spreafico declared: “I am very proud of the the alliance’s airspace, executing NATO’s (SCL) used at home to carry out QRA shifts as
result achieved. We managed to reach this peacetime air policing mission. It represents part of the Servizio Sorveglianza Spazio Aereo
milestone two days in advance of the expected a major step towards the integration of (SSSA, Air Space Surveillance Service). At
timeline and that has been achieved thanks modern fighter aircraft into alliance missions, Amendola, the Lightning IIs have been called
to the fantastic teamwork of all the task force demonstrating the alliance’s capability to upon to provide this capability, if needed, on
personnel and thanks to the great support advance, adapt and integrate new technology.” a rotational basis since the type achieved

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