Combat Aircraft visits Pratica di Mare, home of the 14° Stormo and its Boeing KC-767A tankers — the Italian Air Force’s force multipliers
THE KC-767A IS able to receive and offoad fuel in fiight and can quickly project assets, personnel and equipment over great distances. For us it’s a fundamental resource in our military campaigns and the backbone of Italian air power’. So says Col Antonio Caruso, the commander of the 14° Stormo at Pratica di Mare air base, near Rome. Caruso speaks from experience: with more than 3,400 flight hours under his belt and operational experience in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as qualifications on 10 different types from the C-130J to the E-3A Sentry, he’s well placed to comment.
The Aeronautica Militare (AM, Italian Air Force) operates four Boeing KC-767As — military tanker-transport variants based on the commercial 767-200ER (Extended Range). The KC-767 had troubled beginnings, with a lengthy certification period. The AM’s first example was delivered to Pratica di Mare on January 27, 2011, having originally been slated for delivery in 2005. The delay stemmed from technical issues, including a buffet problem following the installation of the new underwing hose-and-drogue refueling pods.
