Page 5 - HeliOps Frontline Issue 26

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40 WHERE’S THE ‘FUTURE’ IN

FUTURE HEAVY LIFT?

With the US Army focused on future assault
and reconnaissance helicopters, Paul Kennard
explores the ‘where now?’ for vertical heavy
lift capability.

58 ITALIAN NAVY DEFENDERS

THE VARIED ROLES OF ITALY’S NAVAL
AIRBASE MARISTAELI LUNI

The Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana or
MMI) airbase Maristaeli Luni has, since 1999,
been named after Admiral Giovanni Fiorini, a
major architect of the Italian Navy’s helicopter
component and the main creator of Maristaeli
(Marina Stazione Elicotteri) Luni (Sarzana-Luni
helicopter terminal). One of the three MMI air
72 THE ROMANIAN BLACK SEA KNIGHTS bases, Maristaeli Luni has a relatively short
history, with construction commencing in the
EYES IN THE SKY FOR THE SEA FLEET
1960s in an area adjacent to the existing airfield.

It is a warm summer morning as commander
Marius Mitric walks across the platform towards
the large maintenance hangar of the “Black
Sea Knights” at Tuzla Airport. The Romanian
Air Force colonel seems to be an odd man out
on the maritime airfield, but feels completely
at home at the unit. His unit is small, has only
eight pilots in service and operates just three
IAR330L Puma Naval helicopters. However,
the maritime helicopters operate continuously
from the east coast of Romania – with 250 miles
uncomfortably close to the annexed Crimea.
Sven van Roij spoke to the commander about the
diverse range of tasks of his helicopter group.