Defence

The Italian air force’s four Predator unmanned air vehicles deployed to Tallil airbase in Iraq have completed their first 1,000 operational flight hours, the service says.

Forward deployed from the 32nd Fighter Wing at Amendola airbase since late January 2005 and assigned to the 6th Autonomous Operational Unit, the UAVs have been used to provide continuous surveillance on behalf of the Italian Combined Joint Task Force in Iraq. The air vehicles typically undergo standard missions of 4-8h in duration over Dhi Qar province, covering a 200km (110nm) tactical radius and monitoring a territory of 13,600km2 (5,250 miles2), the air force says. Italian Predators provided surveillance during last year’s Iraqi general elections and have been used to locate weapons caches and monitor coalition convoys.

Italy’s Predator fleet will this year undergo an upgrade, which is to add a satellite communications datalink, improved electro-optical/infrared sensor and a synthetic-aperture radar payload.