Today, around 12:00 AM (local time) a couple of Italian Air Force Eurofighter belonging to the 36° Stormo (Wing), were scrambled from Gioia del Colle AB, Apulia, to intercept a civilian ATR 42-600 (JA08JC) of Japan Air Commuter airline that had lost radio contact with the ATC (Air Traffic Control) as it flew over Tyrrhenian Sea on its way from Toulouse (France) to Heraklion (Greece). The aircraft was on its delivery flight (you can find the replay of the flight here via Radarbox24).
The ATR was intercepted off southern Campania coast.
The scramble order was issued by Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) –Torrejon (Spain), the NATO headquarters in charge of surveillance in that area, while the Italian Air Force Air Defence and Surveillance System’s Operations Room provided control over the operation.
(photos via Italian Air Force)
