When the Italian Air Force started to plan a joint exercise with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASFD), they engaged as usual EATC to support this complex and elaborate deployment to Japan.
The task was to deploy 4 F-35, 1 G-550 CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning), 3 KC-767A, of which 2 in AAR (Air to Air Refueling) configuration and 1 for personnel and cargo, and 2 C-130J in oceanic SAR (Search and Rescue) configuration to grant the safety during the mission.
The difficult and long deployment, of about 10.000 km, from Italy to Japan, through Doha (Qatar), Malé (Maldive) and Singapore, has been managed profitably by EATC’s AAR tasking cell. Major Marcello from the Italian Air Force, former KC-767A pilot and EATC AAR tasker since 2021, was engaged with the project right from the beginning.
“The AAR tasking cell was the focal point among tankers, receivers and SAR assets. We worked in close and continuous contact with national PoCs achieving a high level of synergy in our actions. Specifically, the national counterpart was more focused on the logistic set up and the cooperation with Kōkū Jieitai (The Japanese name of JASFD) whilst, here at EATC, we were directing the effort to the operational aspect of the deployment. Principally, we coordinated tailor-made routing to conduct Air-to-Air Refueling activity, the so-called Altitude Reservation.”
Major Marcello explains: “Our main task was to fit an executable and solid AAR plan within a predefined piece of airspace, while always leaving room for a backup option when contingencies arise. Furthermore, the AAR plan for the KC-767A and the F-35A had to be concurrent with multiple assets as the C-130J performing the SAR coverage, the CAEW and the logistic support provided by the third KC-767A. The complexity of the plan required a high level of coordination among all actors, and it was really demanding, being also the collectors of all communications and requests, but, in the end, we succeeded in our task and seized the day to increase our level of mastering AAR". During the entire joint exercise, ”.
Major Marcello new task, after the end of the exercise, during which the 2 KC-767A that remained in Japan will stay under EATC’s operational authority, is now to plan the way back home. “Same process, opposite direction. Keeping in mind everything we learned for the past experiences, now we can face this new challenge, maybe one of the most honorable ones: bring them back home safely!”.
@Photo courtesy Italian Air Force