Aeronautics: at the start in Umbria, an international air rescue exercise
On the Foligno airport, from today, Monday 9 and up to the 13 September, 13 aircraft and 27 ground search and rescue teams will be present for the “Grifone 2019” exercise
It started yesterday, Monday 9 September, and will continue until Friday 13 September, in the province of Perugia (Umbria), the twelfth edition of the “Grifone” exercise, the most important and complex training event of the Air Force in the field of air search and rescue, organized and conducted in collaboration with the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS).
This edition, which takes place at the civil airport of Foligno in collaboration with the Aeroclub of the Umbrian town, is attended by 13 aircraft and 27 search and rescue teams on the ground, belonging to flight units of the Italian Armed Forces, Armed Corps of the State and other Italian and foreign Bodies and Administrations that adhere to the SAR international agreement. Med. Occ. (Search And Rescue Western Mediterranean).
The “Grifone” is an exercise organized annually by the Italian Air Force to promote joint training in the Defense field and with the most important national and international realities of air rescue in a mountain environment. The event constitutes a precious opportunity to verify the capacity of the rescue machine as a whole. Specifically, a coordination, command and control center for search and rescue operations will be set up in an isolated and inaccessible place, operating both day and night, for specific events such as a plane crash, a typical aeronautical search and rescue scenario. , or even for interventions in case of disasters and other emergencies. This event is also an opportunity to increase the standardization and mutual knowledge of procedures in the international arena, in order to obtain - where necessary - the maximum capacity and effectiveness of intervention by all available forces.
In addition to helicopters, mobile command and control stations and logistic structures of the Air Force, the airforce and personnel involved in the Italian Army, the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, the Polizia di Stato, and the Fire Brigade will also participate in the exercise. of the Auxiliary Corps of Volunteer Nurses of the Italian Red Cross, of the CNSAS - National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, of Civil Protection and of the 118 Emergency Health Service of the Province of Perugia. Foreign participants include the participation of an AS-555 Fennec helicopter from the Armée de l'Air (France), a Spanish AS-332 and an AS-332 of the Swiss Luftwaffe, as well as foreign observers from different countries. including Austria, Bosnia, Portugal, United Arab Emirates and Serbia.
Furthermore, for the second year, as part of the "Grifone", a concomitant exercise will be held - called "Eleos" - focused on post-plane crash management which will involve civilian and military personnel of the Air Force, of the University of Urbino , State Police and Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of the Marche (ARPAM). In this context, the training will focus on the search and recovery of materials, on accident prevention, on environmental protection, on the activities of the judicial police and on stress management.