AMI Tornado ECR @Norvenich [2nd Video Added]

[Redskin301]

In the three weeks of September 28th 2020 until October 15th, 2020, six Italian Tornado ECR fighters would operate from the German airbase Nörvenich. The aircraft were all assigned to the 6° Stormo which is based on the Italian airbase Ghedi in the north of the country. The Tornado’s will practice mainly on the Polygon Range in South Western Germany. An average of four Tornado’s would leave per flight. Normally two flights a day are flown at Nörvenich; one flight in the morning and one flight in the afternoon. It is not the first time that the Italians practice at Nörvenich. In the past, the Italians of the 6° Stormo operated often from this German airbase.

The Polygon Range is a unique training location in Europe for SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) missions. The Multinational Aircrew Electronic Warfare Tactics Facility Polygone is an Electronic Warfare Tactics Range located on the border between Germany and France. It is a tri-national facility operated by France, Germany and the United States. Unique is the fact that aircraft can train with some real SAM (Surface to Air Missile) threats during the missions. During the training mission are so-called Smoking SAMs used for realistic training scenarios. A Smoky SAM is an unguided simulation rocket which has the smoke trail of a real SAM launch. This is a very important training asset for the aircrews specialized in SEAD missions.

[Redskin301]

Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), are also known in the United States as "Wild Weasel" and initially "Iron Hand" operations. It are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses, including not only surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) but also interrelated systems such as early-warning radar and command, control and communication functions. During SEAD missions it is the goal to destroy these targets by an air strike. Suppression can be accomplished both by physically destroying the systems or by disrupting and deceiving them through electronic warfare. In modern warfare SEAD missions can constitute as much as 30% of all sorties launched in the first week of combat and continue at a reduced rate through the rest of a campaign.