US air base in Italy locked down for hours over reported car bomb threat

• A U.S. Navy air base in Italy went into lockdown on Wednesday after security forces were alerted to a possible car bomb targeting the military site. The potential threat forced authorities to evacuate a gate at the Naval Air Station Sigonella, and facilities were locked down for several hours as police investigated, according to the U.S. Navy.
• The U.S. military said that Italian police and a bomb squad unit “inspected the package and determined it was not a threat.”
• An Italian defense official told The Associated Press that a “false alarm triggered all the due procedures.”

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A U.S. Navy air base went into lockdown on Wednesday, Feb. 26, after security forces were alerted to a possible car bomb targeting the military site.

What did the investigation uncover?

The potential threat forced authorities to evacuate a gate at the Naval Air Station Sigonella and facilities were locked down for several hours as police investigated, according to the U.S. Navy.

The Navy added in its statement that it is “grateful to our Navy force personnel for their quick response.”

An Italian defense official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity told the news outlet that a “false alarm… triggered all the due procedures.”

Why is the air base important?

The Navy site is outside of Catania on the island of Sicily and is also used by the Italian Air Force.

The base is also home to command and control for the U.S. and NATO forces, as well as strategically positioned on the Mediterranean Sea for forces to deploy across Europe, Africa and Asia, when necessary.

U.S. Navy spy planes like the P-8 Poseiden reconnaissance aircraft are housed at the site, as well as MQ-4C Triton drones.

Besides the Navy, U.S. Space Force personnel also work at the base to track possible missile threats in the region.