Poggio Dart 25: Over 30 assets employed in a multi-domain environment enhancing interoperability, unity and strength
NATO Allied Air Command
Dec 5 2025
RAMSTEIN, Germany -- From November 24 to December 4, 2025, NATO's Exercise Poggio Dart 25 (PODA25) demonstrated the strength and solidarity of the NATO Alliance in the airspace over Italy. Hosted by the Italian Air Force and led by the Deployable Air Command and Control Center (DACCC) at Poggio Renatico, Italy, PODA25 is a key, wide-ranging exercise designed to test and strengthen the interoperability and operational readiness of Allied forces in air defence operations.
Reflecting the multinational and multidomain commitment, the virtual and live training activities involved personnel and numerous assets from the Italian Armed Force, including F-35, EF-2000 and PA-200 Tornado fighter jets, C-130J transport aircraft and enablers such as the maritime patroller P72-A, air refueller KC-767A and Command and Control (Air C2) and ISR platform MQ-9A and E-550A CAEW from the Italian Air Force, along with F35 and AV-8B from Italian Navy and JTAC operators from Italian Army. Alongside with the Italian assets, F-16 fighter jets from the US Air Force based at Aviano in Italy and F-4 Phantom from the Turkish Air Force deployed at Istrana airbase, Italy. One of the primary goals was to train the full spectrum of personnel - including aircrew, technical staff, logistics specialists, planners, Legal Advisors, and Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) controllers - in all aspects critical to a successful NATO air defence mission.
Major General Luca MAINERI, Commander of the DACCC, highlighted the strategic importance of the event: "With Exercise PODA25, the DACCC reinforces the capacity of NATO defence forces to act in unison in a modern and complex context, guaranteeing security and operational readiness in every scenario, demonstrating the Alliance's cohesion and efficiency in the field."
PODA25 provided a crucial opportunity to implement the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, a priority for Allied Air Command. This was demonstrated via the logistical and technical re-deployment of the Deployable Air Defence Radar (DADR), a crucial mobile radar for integrated surveillance, to Cervia Air Base. The DADR's re-deployment - a key component of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS) - provided a tangible demonstration of how the Alliance integrates and synchronizes operational and logistical activities among member nations.
Following the deployment, the Deployable Air Operation Center (DAOC) led the planning phase, executing the complex operations required to produce the Air Tasking Order (ATO), which guid all participating units in the multi-domain environment. During the culminating "live" phase, participating teams and crews enhanced interoperability between NATO and national systems by exercising with real air missions, interceptions, and attack/defence simulations, all coordinated through robust C2 coordination between various national and Allied components. This effort included the NATO E-3A AWACS from NAEW at Geilenkirchen airbase in Germany, an integrated surveillance, command, and control platform that provided an accurate, real-time picture of the battlespace to air and ground commanders.
The Deployable Air Control and Reporting System (DARS) played a fundamental role during these missions. The DARS, a fully deployable IAMD operational room, utilizes advanced tactical capabilities to integrate data from diverse sources. It interfaces seamlessly with numerous NATO and national assets, enabling the Alliance to tactically direct air missions, monitor airspace, and coordinate Allied air activities directly "in the field." Through the efficient and coordinated use of its deployable assets (DADR and DARS), the DACCC of Allied Air Command confirmed its capability to operate as an autonomous, fully interoperable Command and Control node, independent of fixed infrastructure.
PODA25 successfully enhanced the unity and collective defence posture of the Alliance in the crucial domain of IAMD.
Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office
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