Italian forces on “high alert” (Maj1)
The arrival of two Mirage in Maltese territory sounded the alarm in neighboring Italy, which shares with Malta, to be one of the two (European) territories geographically closest to Libya. The air bases of Gioia del Colle (Bari) and Trapani have thus been placed on "maximum alert". The Eurofighter (in the first) and F16 (in the second) crews are "ready to take off immediately, if necessary, to neutralize air threats" indicate the Italian authorities. “Other measures could be taken in the future depending on the evolution of the risk”.
An electronic listening vessel
(updated 23 p.m.) We thus learned on Monday evening that a ship, the INS Elettra, was sent off Libyan waters. On board a team of Italian special forces. This support vessel, 93 meters long, 15 meters wide and weighing nearly 3.000 tons, with a crew of 35 soldiers and 65 technicians, has one specificity: electronic listening. It's not quite the right ship for evacuations or medical care. It is thus equipped with multiple electronic information carriers and can perform logistical and information support tasks for special operations, research operations, collection, analysis and evaluation of acoustic and electromagnetic emissions...
Read also: 2 Mirage of the Libyan army have taken off… (maj3)
