Ukraina - Øket russisk flyaktivitet nær den Polske grensen - The Aviationist

 

Russian Air Force Activity Near Polish Airspace Is ‘Intensifying’ According To The Italian Air Force

October 10, 2022 Italian Air Force, Military Aviation, Russia, Troubled Areas, War in Ukraine

DAVID CENCIOTTI

An Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon (Image credit: Giovanni Colla/Italian Air Force) In the boxes, some of the Russian aircraft intercepted over the Baltics (screen grabs from ItAF video)

The Italian Eurofighters deployed to Poland have carried out 16 alert scrambles to intercept 19 Russian combat aircraft in the last few weeks. An “impressive number” according to the commander of the Italian Task Force.

Eight Alpha Scrambles (alert departures) in just one week, the last of those in the morning on Oct. 6, 2022, for a total of 16 in the last two months: these are the “numbers” of the TFA (Task Force Air) “White Eagle”, the Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon detachment supporting NATO’s eAP (enahnced Air Policing) mission in Poland.

Four F-2000A (as the single seater Typhoons are designated by the Italian MOD) of the Aeronautica Militare (ItAF) have arrived in Malbork on Jul. 28, 2022. The aircraft and personnel are pooled from all the units operating the Eurofighter within the ItAF [the 4th, 36th, 37th and 51st Stormo (Wing)] and supported, when and if needed, by other assets also made available by the service, such as the KC-767A tanker and transport aircraft and the G550 CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning), both belonging to the 14° Stormo from Pratica di Mare airbase.

Their role is to strenghten the deterrence posture on the northeastern flank of NATO airspace as well as to ensure the integrity and security of the Polish airspace and of all the countries of the Alliance, while maintaining a strategic flexibility to quickly intervene in other areas, should the need arise.

The operational activity, which takes place on a daily basis often sees the Italian Typhoon carry out joint activity with the MiG-29 aircraft of the Polish Air Force also based at Malbork.