Italian officials visit F-35 training wing

F-16..net ^ | 4/23/2010 | Ashley M. Wright

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Representatives from the Italian air force and navy visited the 33rd Fighter Wing recently in an effort to check the progress of the first F-35 integrated training center and learn more about this new coalition venture. Things are moving, and this program is becoming real," said Rear Admiral Paolo Treu, director of Naval Aviation Department and commander of the Italian Fleet Air Arm. "I'm grateful to Eglin for giving us this opportunity. A lot of work has been done. A lot of work has to be done."

Italy is one of several partner nations that will be training Joint Strike Fighter pilots and maintainers at the 33rd FW.

"We are honored to host representatives from the Italian navy and air force," said Col. David Hlatky, 33rd FW commander. "We are all on the same JSF team, and it's our privilege to share how the Integrated Training Center is progressing. A lot of good things are coming together in the 33d Fighter Wing and the JSF program."

Admiral Treu said the timing of the visit serves two main purposes.

"[The visit] was a good opportunity to see a lot of the requirements for the Joint Strike Fighter," he said. "The other reason is that we will be a part of the integrated training center."

The admiral added that the Italian military will send two F-35s to work in the center in 2014 and the country will receive its first 5th generation fighter in 2015. The F-35 program is important to the Italian navy efforts to "maintain the capability of power projection from the sea to the ground."

[magslinger]

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[Daaave]

[lentulusgracchus]

That looks like it's got to be Escambia Bay, somewhere that I-10 runs along next to it (east would be at top of photo).

Just guessing, looking at the shoreline and the incised creeks.

[FreedomPoster]

Just looking at it on Google maps, I-10 doesn’t parallel Escambia Bay like that, it crosses at close to a right angle.

[lentulusgracchus]

I guess I should have said "East Pensacola Bay" or something like that -- I thought of that whole body of water as "Escambia Bay" but I guess that's not right, it's divided up and then subdivided. The bridge you're talking about is almost on the (not marked) division between Escambia Bay and part of the bay that has another name -- Macky Bay or something like that.

The area I'm talking about is further east, east of Avalon Beach, where I-10 runs ENE subparallel to the eastern extension of that big bay. I drove on it when I was on my way to Key West back in June, 1970; I should probably renew my acquaintance with it sometime.