Forces from Italy and the US have participated in SPARTAN MACE, a Bomber Task Force mission focused on enhancing close-air support interoperability.
During the operation, two US Air Force B-52H Stratofortresses integrated with two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons and ground forces.
Accompanied by Eurofighter Typhoons, the B-52s entered an Italian military range near Sardinia, west of Italy, where they carried out simulated bomb drops.
The exercise was conducted under the direction of Italian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers.
The mission aimed to improve coordination between air and ground forces, enhancing precision strike capabilities.
Bomber Task Force missions “bolster collective readiness, improve integration, and reaffirm security partnerships across the region,” stated the US Air Force.
Strengthening Cooperation
Washington and Rome are strengthening their coordination with allied forces amid increasing international tensions.
Last month, the US Central Command carried out a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East to strengthen its operational capabilities.
During the operation, nine partner nations supported aerial refueling and live munitions drops.
A similar mission took place in November 2024, while Italy deployed Eurofighter Typhoons to Lithuania for air-to-ground training.
The Eurofighter Typhoons deployment is part of a larger initiative to improve cooperation with NATO forces in the Baltic and reinforce regional security.
Moreover, in October last year, the US Army opened a storage facility at Aviano Air Base in Italy’s northeast to support paratrooper operations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The base is set to become a “crucial hub for the rapid outload of equipment” to boost interoperability with the US Air Force.
