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An Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon departs Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada for a sortie as part of the Red Flag 16-02 exercise. It is the first time that Italy has deployed its Typhoons to Red Flag. Source: IHS\Gareth Jennings
The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) used the debut deployment of its Eurofighter Typhoons to the Red Flag exercise in the United States to develop and test the aircraft's swing-role capabilities in support of future international export campaigns, the detachment commander told reporters on 8 March.
Speaking at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada, Colonel Marco Bertoli said that, while the AMI was chiefly concerned with flying the eight Typhoons it had brought to Red Flag 16-02 in the air-to-air role, it took the opportunity also to roll-out the air-to-ground capabilities to help Finmeccanica promote the platform in those regions of the world for which it takes the lead as part of the wider Eurofighter consortium.
"We are developing [at Red Flag] a swing-role capability, which is mostly to support the Typhoon's export capabilities for other countries, [and have] actually dropped inert bombs during the exercise," the colonel said, adding; "Italy is the lead weapons integrator for the partner nations. We also have prime responsibility for promoting the export of the aircraft to particular regions [Kuwait, for example], and so we need to know ourselves what are the [swing-role] capabilities that we are promoting."
Of the eight Typhoons that the AMI flew to the multinational exercise that ran from 29 February to 11 March, five were Tranche 1 platforms and three were Tranche 2 platforms fitted with the P1E(B) software. It is these latter aircraft that have been involved in the swing-role tests. "We are looking at testing GBU-16 [Paveway II] and GBU-48 [Enhanced Paveway II precision-guided bombs], and developing the Storm Shadow [stand-off cruise missile] capability also, just in case. At Red Flag specifically we are developing the TTPs [tactics, techniques, and procedures], as well as checking the software and attack suites," Col Bertoli explained.
While the Typhoon does already have a proven air-to-ground capability with a number of its operators, chiefly the UK, its role within the AMI is currently strictly restricted to air-to-air only, and this will not change in the near-term despite the Red Flag trials, the colonel noted.
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Italy uses Red Flag to develop swing-role capability for Typhoon exports | IHS Jane's 360
