Austere.

This is coolbert:

The British do it. The Italians + British do it too. Dispersal exercise proof-of-concept during peacetime. See recent British ACE deployment blog entry.

"Italian F-35Bs Perform Austere Runway Exercise In Sardinia"

From theaviationist.com the article by DAVID CENCIOTTI September 1, 2022.

Military air operations combat warplanes "expeditionary exercises" a test-of-concept aircraft able to perform missions from a bare-bones airfield. Italians and British combined STVOL F-35B.

"Italian Air Force and Navy F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) aircraft carried out a joint expeditionary drill at Alghero Airport."

"After conducting several expeditionary exercises on the tiny island of Pantelleria where the local airfield has been used as a forward operating base for F-35Bs of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), Marina Militare (Italian Navy) (and also the Royal Air Force)  the Italian Defense has moved Alghero, on the northwestern coast of Sardinia, to carry out the latest ALARP (Air Landed Aircraft Refueling Point) drill"

"In fact, on Aug. 31, 2022, an F-35B of the  and one of the Marina Militare deployed to the Sardinian airport, where an austere runway (basically meaning a short runway located in a semi-permissive environment with limited ground support available) was simulated, carried out a hot-pit refueling with a KC-130J of the 46^ Brigata Aerea (Air Brigade) from Pisa, and took off again to take part in a mission inside PISQ . . . a large EW range located over central-east Sardinia, that also involved two F-35As and two Eurofighters."

Indicators here of enhanced readiness status that might alarm the Russian? War-time means and methods are being practiced that can be reasonably be expected to create suspicion in a questioning mind. One such activity should not cause any heart palpitations. Two such events and you can reasonably begin to wonder? Preparations are being made for big-things to come? I almost sound like a Hal Turner.

coolbert.