Italian Minister of Defense visits International Flight Training School in Decimomannu, Sardinia
The IFTS will become an international center of excellence. It was born from the union of the great flight training capabilities of the Italian Air Force and the advanced integrated training platforms of Leonardo.
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| Italian Air Force T-346A advanced trainer jets. |
Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini visited the site that will host the International Flight Training School (IFTS) of the Italian Air Force at the Decimomannu air base, Sardinia, on Wednesday.
"The new International Flight Training School of the Italian Air Force is the result of fruitful cooperation, on an international basis, between Defense, the National Industry and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. It has a low environmental impact and offers economic and social advantages at the national and local," said Guerini.
In addition to the Minister, numerous other authorities participated in the visit, including the Lt. Gen. Alberto Rosso, Chief of Staff of the Air Force; the CEO of Leonardo SpA, Alessandro Profumo; the General Manager of Leonardo SpA, Eng. Lucio Valerio Cioffi; the Commander of the Italian Air Force Command for Sardinia, Gen. Davide Marzinotto; the Commander of the Experimental and Standardization Air Shooting Department of the Italian Air Force, Col. Cosimo De Luca; the President of Sardinia, Christian Solinas; the President of the Regional Council Michele Pais and the Mayors of Decimomannu and Villasor.
The project plans to take advantage of the large training air spaces of Sardinia to create an inter-force, international and multi-domain training unicum that allows fourth and fifth generation aircraft to increase and enhance their operational capabilities in complex scenarios, faithful to reality.
"Decimomannu will become a center of excellence for advanced flight training, it will host the most modern and advanced integrated training system among those of all Western countries. It involves a large investment in the construction of state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly infrastructures. I know that mainly regional companies were involved. It is proof of how important Sardinia is for defense and the nation," said Guerini.
President Solinas underlined how much the Sardinia Region has strongly believed in the IFTS Project which is "the result of a renewed collaboration between institutions, at the service of Sardinia and the whole country. The training center will favor an increase in employment in the territory and a collaboration strategic with technical and academic institutes".
The project will offer Sardinia positive effects on stable direct and indirect employment, in the medium-long term and not subject to seasonality. It will promote economic and training opportunities for young graduates of regional technical institutes, and significant savings in terms of training costs. "The synergy between the Italian Air Force and Leonardo S.p.a. - said Guerini - confirms the strategic vision of Defense, Industry and local institutions towards European integration: seizing opportunities and transforming them into concrete projects."
The IFTS will allow the service to double the current training offer through the establishment of a training center that will join the one already existing at the Galatina Air Base, southern Italy.
The IFTS will train the new generation of fighter pilots, providing customized training modules tailored to the various requirements of the national and international air forces, calibrated on the machines for which the students will be destined. Thanks to the use of M346 Live technology, Virtual & Constructive, the number of real flight hours will be reduced in favor of those carried out in the simulator, as well as the more expensive ones for operational conversion at fighter squadrons.
"Through the training of pilots from other countries - underlined Guerini - the IFTS project represents an investment in maintaining good relations between countries and therefore an investment in terms of military policy and from a geostrategic point of view".
"The new International Flight Training School of the Italian Air Force is the result of fruitful cooperation, on an international basis, between Defense, the National Industry and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. It has a low environmental impact and offers economic and social advantages at the national and local," said Guerini.
In addition to the Minister, numerous other authorities participated in the visit, including the Lt. Gen. Alberto Rosso, Chief of Staff of the Air Force; the CEO of Leonardo SpA, Alessandro Profumo; the General Manager of Leonardo SpA, Eng. Lucio Valerio Cioffi; the Commander of the Italian Air Force Command for Sardinia, Gen. Davide Marzinotto; the Commander of the Experimental and Standardization Air Shooting Department of the Italian Air Force, Col. Cosimo De Luca; the President of Sardinia, Christian Solinas; the President of the Regional Council Michele Pais and the Mayors of Decimomannu and Villasor.
The project plans to take advantage of the large training air spaces of Sardinia to create an inter-force, international and multi-domain training unicum that allows fourth and fifth generation aircraft to increase and enhance their operational capabilities in complex scenarios, faithful to reality.
"Decimomannu will become a center of excellence for advanced flight training, it will host the most modern and advanced integrated training system among those of all Western countries. It involves a large investment in the construction of state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly infrastructures. I know that mainly regional companies were involved. It is proof of how important Sardinia is for defense and the nation," said Guerini.
President Solinas underlined how much the Sardinia Region has strongly believed in the IFTS Project which is "the result of a renewed collaboration between institutions, at the service of Sardinia and the whole country. The training center will favor an increase in employment in the territory and a collaboration strategic with technical and academic institutes".
The project will offer Sardinia positive effects on stable direct and indirect employment, in the medium-long term and not subject to seasonality. It will promote economic and training opportunities for young graduates of regional technical institutes, and significant savings in terms of training costs. "The synergy between the Italian Air Force and Leonardo S.p.a. - said Guerini - confirms the strategic vision of Defense, Industry and local institutions towards European integration: seizing opportunities and transforming them into concrete projects."
The IFTS will allow the service to double the current training offer through the establishment of a training center that will join the one already existing at the Galatina Air Base, southern Italy.
The IFTS will train the new generation of fighter pilots, providing customized training modules tailored to the various requirements of the national and international air forces, calibrated on the machines for which the students will be destined. Thanks to the use of M346 Live technology, Virtual & Constructive, the number of real flight hours will be reduced in favor of those carried out in the simulator, as well as the more expensive ones for operational conversion at fighter squadrons.
"Through the training of pilots from other countries - underlined Guerini - the IFTS project represents an investment in maintaining good relations between countries and therefore an investment in terms of military policy and from a geostrategic point of view".
Written by Matteo Sanzani
Source, Images: Italian Air Force
Source, Images: Italian Air Force
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