Italian Air Force ATR P-72A on EUFOR Althea mission over the Balkans

This morning, an Italian Air Force ATR P-72A Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MM62280) using the callsign EUFOR88 carried out a surveillance mission over the Adriatic Sea and the western Balkans.

The aircraft took off from Sigonella AB (Sicily) and headed northeast across the Adriatic before operating over Bosnia and Herzegovina, consistent with patrol activities connected to Operation EUFOR Althea.

EUFOR Althea is a European Union military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, launched in December 2004 to ensure compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian War. The mission succeeded NATO’s SFOR operation and operates under a UN Security Council mandate (Resolution 1575).
Its objectives include maintaining a safe and secure environment, supporting local armed forces reform, and assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path toward EU integration.

Italy is one of the main contributors to EUFOR Althea, providing both personnel on the ground and aerial surveillance assets such as the ATR P-72A MPA, which is equipped with advanced radar and electro-optical sensors for maritime and land surveillance