On 12th September 2024, a solemn ceremony was held at Istrana air base of the Italian Air Force, to celebrate the return of Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale Frecce Tricolori (English: National Aerobatic Team Tricolour Arrows) from their air show tour across North America.
During the ‘North America Tour 24’, the aerobatic team of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare), which is one of the most renowned groups of its kind in the world, took part in nine air shows and performed seventeen flyovers in Canada and the US.
The ceremony at Istrana was attended by, among others, the Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto, Vice President of the Senate Gian Marco Centinaio, Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, Undersecretary of State for Defence Matteo Perego di Cremnago, Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chief of Air Force Staff General Luca Goretti, as well as other civilian and military officials.
‘This day teaches us that the future is built with daily preparation, with the work of many people, with synergy and the ability to see far ahead.’ the Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto said during the ceremony.
The Minister also addressed his thanks to the personnel involved in the Frecce Tricolori tour across the North America, emphasising their role for the country: ‘You are a symbol, a manifesto, you represent the Frecce Tricolori, which are a piece of the soul and heart of each of us, of our history and our pride.’
‘I am here today, to remind us of the importance that as Armed Forces we have had and will have for our country’ – added Crosetto. Moreover, the Italian MoD emphasised the role of the military and the importance of always being at the forefront in a world that has changed.
The ceremony was crowned by the presentation of the new aircraft of Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale, the Alenia Aermacchi M346 Master. Thus, the team will soon bid farewell to Alenia Aermacchi MB-339-A aeroplanes, with which Frecce Tricolori flew since 1982. With the new aircraft, the team’s new livery inspired by ‘Il Rinascimento del Tricolore’ (English: Renaissance of the Tricolour) was also unveiled.
For more information about the history of Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale Frecce Tricolori, as well as the MB-339-A aircraft, please check our article Alenia Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN, issued in December of 2020 within our Photo of the Week series. Additional information related to the M346 Master and history of its development, can be found in Leonardo/Alenia Aermacchi M346 Master, the article we have published in September of 2023.
All photos and quotations © Italian Ministry of Defence / Ministero della Difesa (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED). Information from press releases of the Italian MoD were used.
