5,000 Italian air force personnel are to lose their jobs as reorganisation continues
Andy Nativi/GENOA
By 2005, the Italian air force plans to have cut its ranks to about 55,000 personnel, also reducing its number of bases and shedding aircraft.
The latest changes mean that 5,000 people will be axed, at an average of 1,000 each year from 2001 to 2005. This is in addition to force reductions announced in 1995 that are still under way. The earlier cuts were aimed at bringing the number of active-duty Italian airmen down from 64,000 to 60,000.
The reductions are part of an air force-wide reorganisation within a restructuring of Italy's entire military. The projected end strength of the military is 225,000, down from 279,620.
The air force's command restructuring, completed on 1 March, involved changing from an organisation based on geography to one based on function. The Rome headquarters has become a centre for control, policy making and long-term planning, while operations, including air defence, is entrusted to a new command, Comando Operativo Forze Aeree (COFA). Other new commands include the Comando Squadra Aerea (CSA), responsible for preparing forces, equipment, weapons systems and structures for combat readiness when assigned to COFA; a training command to control all the service's schools, including its air force academy; and a logistic command to assume all support and procurement duties. The air force is debating whether to merge the COFA and CSA.
The reforms also affect the force structure:
Air defence
There are five Lockheed F-104ASA/M squadrons (each with 12 aircraft), and a single F-104 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), supported by two squadrons of leased Panavia Tornado F3s. The squadrons operate from bases at Cameri, Cervia, Gioia del Colle, Grazzanise, Grosseto, Istrana and Trapani.
The new plan calls for disbanding one of the five F-104ASA squadrons. When deliveries of Italy's 121 Eurofighters begin in 2002, five operational squadrons and an OCU will be stationed at three main bases - Gioia del Colle, Grosseto and Trapani. The six squadrons will be divided into three wings, one at each base, and the OCU at Grosseto. The older aircraft will be phased out after the Eurofighter deliveries.
Tactical forces
Two squadrons will be cut from nine.
The air force has three Tornado Interdictor Strike (IDS) squadrons, one Tornado Electronic Combat/ Reconnaissance (ECR) squadron with the role of suppressing enemy air defences, and five light attack AMX/OCUs. Under the reorganisation, two Tornado IDS squadrons would remain at Ghedi and get midlife improvements. A third, at Gioia del Colle, will be disbanded.
The Tornado OCU role will be performed directly at one of the two operational squadrons with the trainer-configured aircraft that are to return to Italy with the closure later this year of the Royal Air Force Cottesmore-based Tornado Tri-national Training Establishment in the UK. Each squadron, including the ECR squadron, will have at least 15 operational aircraft. The ECR squadron will stay at Piacenza.
The AMX force will be reduced to four squadrons stationed at Istrana in the north and Amendola in the south. The OCU role will be carried out by one of the Amendola squadrons. The AMX, the performance of which pleased officials during the Yugoslavia air war, will all be improved to the most advanced Block 3 standard and will receive additional upgrades, including reconnaissance systems featuring infrared and optical sensors, data recorders and datalinks to transmit information to the ground station. The Block 3 standard, however, is seen simply as the baseline for improvements and the AMX fleet will gradually be updated. A re-engining is under consideration, to replace Rolls-Royce Spey engines with non-afterburning versions of the Eurojet EJ200 turbofan used to power the Eurofighter.
Airlift
Two squadrons will form the backbone of the future transport requirement, one of 18 Lockheed Martin C-130Js on order and one of 12 C-130Hs, which will receive midlife upgrades. A third squadron, with Alenia G222s receiving limited upgrades, will be kept. The possibility of returning the G222s to Alenia and acquiring instead C-27J Spartans is being considered. The air force has leased a G222 airframe to Alenia for conversion to a C-27J prototype, which will be returned.
In terms of heavy airlift, Italy theoretically requires 44 new large transports, but air force planning calls for a maximum of 24. Funding for the 24 is not yet assured, however. The fleet is also expected to include 18 Piaggio P180s for VIP and liaison duties, plus two Airbus A319CJs and two Dassault Falcon 900EXs for long-range state transport roles.
Maritime patrol
Two squadrons fly the Dassault Atlantique Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). One, at Cagliari, is to be disbanded and all the aircraft will be concentrated in Sigonella, where OCU/training will take place. Eighteen Atlantiques are receiving midlife improvements. The air force will seek a fleet of no more than 12-14 new MPAs, to be procured jointly with Germany.
Training/search and rescue
The air force is happy with its Aermacchi MB339 jet trainers and its 14 new MB339CDs. For the search and rescue (SAR) mission, the service plans to replace its Agusta-Bell AB212 and Agusta/Sikorsky HH-3F helicopters with up to 38 NHIndustriesNH90 combat SAR helicopters. The configuration of these is under discussion. The first aircraft to be replaced by NH90s will be the AB212s.
Unmanned air vehicles
The first strategic reconnaissance/surveillance squadron is being planned. This will be equipped with long-endurance high-altitude unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), possibly the General Atomics Predator.
Surface-to-air missiles
Ageing Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles will be replaced with a new mobile system. The original plan was to buy 10 Medium Extended Air Defence System (MEADS) surface-to-air missiles (batteries) to defend against aircraft, UAVs and theatre ballistic missiles.
The tri-national MEADS programme, in which Italy participates with the USA and Germany, has been restructured and kickstarted with a three-year risk reduction phase. It is not certain, however, whether Italy's air force will commit to full development and production.
To protect Italy's most important bases and infrastructure, the air force relies on 12 Alenia Marconi Spada surface-to-air missile batteries, which soon will be cut to eight. Twenty-point defence firing units will be procured, combining short-range missiles and automatic guns. The first such system is due to be acquired next year (Flight International, 30 June-6 July).
Source: Flight International
