David Cenciotti recently visited Ghedi Air Base, home to the Italian Air Force’s 155° Gruppo Electronic Warfare Tactical Suppression (ETS), to learn how the Tornado ECR and F-35A Lightning II are training for dangerous enemy radar destruction missions, dubbed ‘Wild Weasel’ tactics by the USAF.
According to Lt Col Michele (surname withheld for security reasons), commander of the 155°Gruppo ETS ‘Pantere Nere’ (Black Panthers): "Our primary role is SEAD – Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses and DEAD – Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses, two kinds of mission we carry out with the Tornado ECR.” The squadron has been based in Ghedi since 2016, when the Aeronautica Militare (AM, Italian Air Force) decided to center all the Tornado fleet with 6° Stormo (Wing).
The 50° Stormo, based at Piacenza, was deactivated and its subordinate unit, 155° Gruppo, moved to Ghedi, to join 154° Gruppo ‘Diavoli Rossi’ (‘Red Devils’) and 102° Gruppo Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).
Current plans suggest the Tornado fleet, celebrating 40 years in Italian service this year, will remain in operational service with 6° Stormo until at least 2025.
The first to be retired will be the Tornado IDS (designated A-200C by the Italian Ministry…
