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EDA to train European helicopter crews in Italian Blade 2015

Xinhua, June 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Italian Blade 2015, the eighth training event organized under the framework of the European Defence Agency (EDA)'s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), will start on June 22 in Viterbo, Italy, the EDA, an agency of the European Union, said in a press release Monday.

Gathering about 40 helicopters from seven different countries, it will be one of the largest exercises organized since the establishment of the HEP in 2009.

Aircraft from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia will attend this year's exercise. The event will be hosted by the Italian Army Aviation at an airbase about 80 km north of Rome.

More than 1,000 military personnel are expected to take part in the event, which will run to July 3.

As with previous HEP live-flying exercises, Italian Blade's main objectives will be to train European helicopter crews in conditions likely to be faced in possible future operations, while promoting cooperation in helicopters training and developing joint interoperability between multinational elements, both in the air and on the ground, the EDA said. Endit