New double scramble for Italian Eurofighter of the Task Force Air 4th Wing, deployed at the Polish base of Malbork.
The activation was requested to intercept an unidentified aircraft flying over the international waters of the Baltic Sea on April 8th and 9th. Subsequently, the NATO Air Operations Command and Control Center (CAOC) based in Uedem, Germany, initiated the alert.
Italian Air Force aircraft belonging to the TFA – operating within the NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission – proceeded to intercept and identify the aircraft before returning to the base in Malbork.
In both cases, the fighters were dispatched to intercept a Russian Air Force Ilyushin IL- 20M (COOT-A) aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea without responding to identification requests.
For the first time since Italian Typhoons have been deployed in Poland, we have photos of the interceptions, whereas in the past, these had not been released.
The Task Force Air “4th Wing” employs four Eurofighter aircraft (F-2000) from four Air Force air defense wings: the 4th Wing of Grosseto, the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle, the 37th Wing of Trapani, and the 51st Wing of Istrana. Thanks to these aircraft, it is possible to ensure the takeoff and interception of any suspicious track detected by radar within minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Italian contingent, under the direct national command of COVI (Interforce Operational Command), consists of men and women from the Italian Air Force Flight Groups, as well as technical and logistical personnel deployed at the Krolewo airport in Malbork, operating alongside the Polish Air Force to protect the northeastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance. This is the second time an Italian contingent has been deployed in Poland for enhanced Air Policing operations (eAP)