[automated translation from local language]

Tuesday 28 and Wednesday, June 29, 2011 the Air Force conducted air rescue exercise ‘SATER 02/2011’ Triveneto Alps. The activity is part of a cycle of operations annually organized in order to train Air Force personnel involved in SAR (Search And Rescue – Search and Rescue) by the Air Force Command (CSA) in Rome and managed operationally by the employee on the ground Air Operations Command (AOC) of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara).

Exercise, conducted with the cooperation of research teams of the Italian Alpine Club Earth – National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CAI-CNSAS), took part, as well as technical support personnel and equipment of the 3 ° Stormo Villafranca Operational Support (Verona), the Communications Squadron of Padua and 15 ° Stormo CSAR (Combat Search And Rescue) Cervia (Ravenna), even air units of the 4 th Regiment AVES (Army Aviation) ‘Altair’ based in Bolzano, the Air Section of the State Forestry Corps of Bolzano, and dell’Elinucleo Fire of Trento.

The main purpose of the exercise was to train staff to operate in conjunction with Air Force SAR units of the Armed Forces and other personnel CNSAS for the management of any aircraft accident occurred in a steep mountain, providing for the rescue of persons involved . Particular importance has taken on the multi-context of the exercise, which made possible the comparison and exchange of experiences and operating procedures between the various participants, are essential to the continuous improvement process in the field of Search and Rescue to protect human life.

The scenario of the simulated search and rescue of a crew of military aircraft and a touring, involved in a plane crash in the mountains. The staff has been properly recovered and given medical care at the Advanced Medical Post managed by the Civil Protection teams and 118. The event resulted in the activation of the chain of command and control (C2) of the AOC that notification of the accident, he planned, coordinated and directed the air and land assets to support SAR in the activity.

For recovery operations, the helicopters of 15 Wing and other structures have been re participants, together with the SAR of the mountain rescue personnel, at a place in the Advanced Base Novezza town of Ferrara di Monte Baldo (Verona). In particular, the activities have been used a helicopter flying HH-3F of the 15 ° Stormo (83 ° SAR Center of Cervia), AB-205 helicopter of the Italian Army, AB-412 helicopter of the Tax Police and a helicopter AS-350 Fire Brigade. The transactions involved a total of about 160 units, for a total of 15 flight hours.

The Air Force’s SAR service is managed and coordinated by the RCC (Rescue Coordination Center – Rescue Coordination Centre) in the AOC, through the use of helicopters and crews of the 15 ° Stormo distributed throughout Italy (Cervia, Drills, Practice Sea and Brindisi) and the SAR Squadron Decimomannu (Cagliari). Thanks to this geographical location of rotary wing assets, the Air Force provides 24 hours of 24, 365 days a year, the search and rescue flight crew in difficulty contributing also to charitable activities, such as search for missing at sea or in the mountains, transporting emergency medical patients at risk of life and relief of severe trauma. In particular, the 15 ° Stormo from its inception until today, has helped save some 7,000 people in mortal danger.