This exercise precedes the deployment of the Typhoon Fleet to Red Flag – Akaska, USA.
The Italian Air Force is currently conducting exercise “Typhoon Flag 2024” from March 11 to 29 at Gioia del Colle Air Base, home of the 36° Stormo (Wing). Compared to previous years, this year's Typhoon Flag marks one of the two most important exercises of the year for the Italian Air Force's Eurofighter fleet: Exercise Red Flag – Alaska (the other being Ex . In Australia, Pitch Black).
On March 20, 2024, we participated in the 2nd Spotters' Day “Typhoon Flag 2024” hosted by Gioia del Colle Air Base. During the event, we had the opportunity to witness aircraft operations throughout the day and capture photos and videos that can be found in this article.
F-2000A (single-seater Typhoon designated in Italy according to MOD's mission design series – two-seater designated TF-2000A) 4° (from Grosseto), 36°, 37° (from Trapani) ) and 51° Stormo ( from Istrana) flew together during complex daily missions. During the exercise, all squadrons were represented: 9° and 20° (TF-2000) Gruppo from Grosseto, 10° and 12° Gruppo from Gioia del Colle, 18° Gruppo from Trapani, and 132° Gruppo from Istrana.
Some missions also involved F-35s from 32° Stormo at Amendola to improve cooperation between 4th and 5th generation assets. Supporting assets were represented by a KC-767 tanker providing air-to-air refueling and a G550 Configurable Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) providing AEW-BM&C (Airborne Early Warning – Battlefield Management and Communications), both belonging to the 14th. ° Stomo.
Similar to other Large Force Employment (LFE) exercises held in Italy recently, such as last year's NATO Tiger Meet 2023, the area allocated for the exercise will rotate from Puglia to the Tyrrhenian Sea, allowing participants to train for all assigned missions. Provided ample space. Specifically, this exercise used the wide airspace of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Salto di Quira Mountains east of Sardinia, as well as the airspace of the Ionian Sea, Apulia, Calabria, and Basilicata regions.
The goal of the exercise is to develop new tactics, techniques and procedures associated with the new P2E(b) (Phase 2 Enhanced Bravo) software and new weapons, while also consolidating standardization for all units flying Eurofighters. For example, a specific goal of last year's exercise was to develop, in a simulation manner, advanced tactics for the use of MBDA Meteor missiles.
In fact, the new weapon is expected to enter service in late 2023 with the completion of the first phase of the Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) campaign. The campaign also involved operational squadron weapons instructors. It is shared with young pilots in each edition of Typhoon Flag.
Standardization between different units is important for aircrews to participate in NATO missions as part of mixed task forces. In fact, the Italian Air Force regularly deploys aircraft, crews and maintainers from all Typhoon units in Kuwait in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and regularly deploys to the Baltic region or Eastern Europe in support of NATO air security missions. .
We witnessed this interoperability during Spotters' Day, with aircraft and pilots from different units launching together not only as part of the same mission package, but as part of the same flight. In fact, with the exception of a few scheduled missions outside of training, all four flights we took off included aircraft from up to three squadrons.
Typhoon Flag allows pilots to train in all mission sets of the Eurofighter Typhoon, including both air-to-air and air-to-ground, such as Defensive Counter Air (DCA), Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Swing Role. The use of the weapons was simulated without any actual weapons (both live and inert) being discharged at any point, and the aircraft was flown in a typical configuration with two external fuel tanks and a Litening targeting pod and a captive IRIS-T missile. .
The F-35's participation in the exercise was also shown in the official patch for Typhoon Flag 2024, which included both the F-2000 and F-35. However, the fifth-generation fighter was not deployed to Gioia del Colle, but instead flew directly from its home base at Amendola, 72 nm (about 130 km) northwest of Gioia del Colle.
As previously mentioned, Typhoon Flag also serves as a “preparation” for the Italian Air Force before its deployment to Alaska, where it will participate in Exercise Red Flag – Alaska 24-1 from April 18 to May 3. This exercise took place in 2010 with the deployment of 12 Tornado IDS and ECR aircraft for Red Flag – Alaska 10-3.
The last Red Flag exercise utilizing Italian assets was Red Flag 20-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where F-35s, F-2000s and G-550 CAEWs were deployed. So far only Typhoon's participation has been acknowledged, but a similar contingent is likely to be deployed to Alaska later this year, as already announced for Pitch Black, which is expected to run from July 15 to August 1.