Join Stars 2019: the Italian armed forces complete the largest national exercise

The Italian Air Force played a decisive role in the exercise thanks to its multiple operational capabilities.

Italian Tornado deployed at Decimannu AB, Sardinia, during the Joint Stars 2019 exercise.

On May 31, the Italian armed forces successfully completed the live session of the exercise Joint Stars 2019 (JS19). The JS19 was the main national military exercise of the year, organized and managed by the Italian Ministry of Defense.

From 13 to 31 May, over 2,000 soldiers from all the Italian armed forces, 25 planes, dozens of land, naval and amphibious units were deployed in various training scenarios in Sardinia to participate in different types of missions with increasing difficulty level.

The purpose of the JS19 was to demonstrate the high interoperability between the Air Force, the Navy and the Army, but also their ability to operate in an environment characterized by cyber, chemical-biological and radioactive threats together with inter-agency units. The JS19 also involved units of the US Marines Corps, the Custom Police, the Fire Department and the Red Cross for the first time.

"We wanted to give the Joint Stars a distinctly inter-agency approach to test and develop an effective ability to work synergistically with other branches of the state," Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta said.

The Italian Air Force (ITAF) played a decisive role throughout the exercise as it guaranteed an important technical and operational contribution, as well as great logistical support. It provided a large number of men and all types of aircraft in its fleet. The Tornado, AMX, T346 and P72 planes and the HH139 and HH101 helicopters were deployed at Decimannu AB, Sardinia, while the C27, C130, KC767 and Eurofighter aircraft operated from their home bases. In addition, the JS19 included F35A fighters belonging to the 32nd Wing that flew out of Trapani AB, Sicily.