can you please post the full article?
THE ATLC 2013 EXERCISE ENDED IN AL-DHAFRA
DECEMBER 23RD 2013
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Author 36th Wing - Gioia del Colle (BA) - Magg. Francesco Napoli
On Wednesday 18 December, the participation of all personnel in Italy ended, the participation of the Italian Air Force in the Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC), organized by the Air Warfare Center (AWC) in Al Dhafra, United Arab Emirates .
The course had as its topical moment the graduation, carried out on 12 December, which saw the attribution of the qualification of Mission Commander / Force Proection Leader to a pilot of the Italian Air Force, in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Emirates Air Force United Arab Emirates and the Military Embassy Employees at the UAE.
The multinational exercise, which lasted about 40 days, saw the participation of Air Force personnel with 3 Eurofighter aircraft, 2 from the 36th Wing and 1 from the 4th Wing, and was carried out with the primary purpose of qualifying pilots such as Mission Commander / Force Protection Leader of complex missions, such as COMAO (Composite Air Operation). Furthermore, the activity has allowed us to carry out training flight activities in an international context in air combat missions (Air Combat Training) in scenarios with and without "visual contact" (Within Visual Range and Beyond Visual Range).
The three aircraft flew about 90 hours, including transfers, with both 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle, the 37th Wing of Trapani and the 4th Wing of Grosseto flying.
Several countries participated in the exercise: United States, with F-22, F15E, E-3A aircraft, United Kingdom, with EF-2000 and E3A aircraft; France, with Rafael aircraft, United Arab Emirates, with M-2000, F-16 Blk60, Pakistan aircraft, with F-16 Blk52 + aircraft, and Jordan, with F16 MLU aircraft.
The redevelopment of the structures took place in the second decade of November with the aid of a KC-767 aircraft, which supplied the aircraft in flight along the route, while the personnel recovered thanks to the transports carried out by the 8th Gruppo Volo 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare (Rome) with carrier KC-767A, which reached the air base of Al Dhafra, taking off from the Brindisi airport detachment, and with a C-130J of the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa.
This made it possible to bring vehicles, materials, spare parts and equipment useful to provide the necessary technical support to the Eurofighter (Typhoon) aircraft.
In particular, the staff of the Brindisi Detachment carried out the operations that allowed the loading of materials and vehicles in the Air Terminal Operation Center (ATOC) of the Salento Department, with the contribution of the staff arrived in support from the 3rd Wing of Verona Villafranca, coordinating with the Customs Agency - Territorial Operative Section of Brindisi.
The activity carried out in Brindisi, moreover, was made possible thanks to the equipment made available by the airport company of the airport of Brindisi "Aeroporti di Puglia" (AdP), with which for years there has been active collaboration in the area of available resources , both of ground handling vehicles and personnel, in order to guarantee the performance of the essential activities of a specific competence with significant cost savings.
