Zitat:Aermacchi Signed a Contract with the IAF for the Provision of 30 Primary Trainers SF-260EA

Aermacchi has recently signed a contract with the Italian Air Force for the purchasing of 30 primary trainers SF-260EA, in a new configuration to meet the requirements of the Italian Air Force.
As agreed in the contract Aermacchi will buy-back the 21 SF-260 AM presently owned by the IAF.
The first aircraft delivery is planned by the beginning of 2005.
The contract includes, together with the non-recurring development activities and efforts for the certification of the SF-260EA, also training activities and integrated logistic support provided directly at the base of the 71st Wing of the IAF, which will operate the aircraft in Latina (near Rome).(...)

Zitat:Italian F-16 crashes into the Adriatic sea

February 11, 2010 (by Lieven Dewitte) - An Italian AMI F-16A ADF (#MM7238) belonging to 5 Stormo at Cervia AB ditched into the Adriatic sea yesterday at 15.30h CET during a training mission.

The pilot, Maj. Luca Crovatti (37) from 23 gruppo "Veltro", successfully ejected and was rescued by a nearby fishing boat.
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Zitat:Italy is planning to buy up to eight new Gulfstream signals intelligence aircraft and build a maintenance hub for similar aircraft operated by other nations around the Mediterranean.

The plans, which were outlined in documents supplied to the Italian parliament, would reinforce Italy’s signals intelligence capability as the Mediterranean becomes a flashpoint for regional tensions with neighbors like Turkey and Egypt tussling over the future of lawless Libya.

The Italian acquisition was first mentioned in this year’s budget document, released in October, which cited the need for ‘multi-mission, multi-sensor’ Gulfstream G-550 jets and listed an outlay of 1.23 billion euros.

An illustration of the aircraft in the document resembled Israel’s ‘Shavit’ Signals Intelligence Gulfstream, while the required capabilities listed included command and control, “electronic superiority” and “electronic protection of forces.”

Zitat:Italy to invest USD2.4 billion in Tempest programme

Italy seeks to invest EUR2 billion (USD2.4 billion) in the Tempest programme under plans disclosed in the country's latest multiyear planning document (Documento Programmatico Pluriennale: DPP) for 2021–23.

The DPP, released on 5 August, revealed that the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to allocate EUR60 million between 2021 and 2023, EUR90 million between 2024 and 2026, and EUR1.85 billion between 2027 and 2035 to fund capabilities for the Tempest programme. Specifically, EUR6 billion is identified for research and development, while acquisition and support funding are yet to be fully defined.

The DPP marks the first formal commitment of funding since Italy signed up for the Tempest project in September 2019. [...] As noted in the DPP, Tempest is envisaged as a manned/optionally manned fighter, capable of operating in highly contested and degraded environments, and will be part of a wider, networked, system-of-systems (SoS) – the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) – that will include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), weapons and sensors systems, and other current and future aviation assets and technologies.

Zitat:Italy flies first Block 5 Reaper

The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) has flown its first Block 5 version of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

The manufacturer announced the milestone on 5 December, saying the first flight of the remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) took place some weeks earlier on 9 November.

“The new RPA was delivered to the [AMI], along with a new mobile ground control station (MGCS), as part of a mid-life modernisation (MLM) update to the [Italian] fleet of RPAs from GA-ASI. The aircraft and MGCS are part of a Foreign Military Sales,” General Atomics said.

Zitat:Italy signs for follow-on Eurofighters

Italy has signed for up to 24 new Eurofighter Typhoons (designated F-2000 in national service) to replace early model aircraft that are due for retirement.

Leonardo, the national industrial prime in the four-country Eurofighter consortium, announced the deal with the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) on 23 December. The announcement did not say what tranche the new aircraft would be, and neither did it provide a breakdown of the number of single and twin seaters. [...] Speaking to reporters at the Farnborough International Airshow in July, Eurofighter CEO Giancarlo Mezzanatto said that Italy's urgent requirement for these new aircraft would see them delivered with the Leonardo European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 0 radar, which is the latest operational version of the E-Scan radar.

Zitat:Italy Evaluates GCAP Wingman Options, Including Kızılelma

19 Jun 2025, 19:16 4 mins
France Italy Turkiye
Air Unmanned Systems Expo and Air Show
Italy Evaluates GCAP Wingman Options, Including Kızılelma
Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani stated that various alternatives like unmanned versions of trainers and Baykar’s Kızılelma are being evaluated as loyal wingman.

During the Paris Airshow, Roberto Cingolani gave information regarding the possible routes for the Italian Air Force’s future fighter jets being developed under the GCAP programme.

Defense News reported that three options are on the table: Unmanned M345, unmanned M346, and Kızılelma of Baykar, which has launched its joint venture with Leonardo.



Trainers Converted to Loyal Wingman
Leonardo’s single-engine M345 trainer is something between advanced trainers and turboprop-powered basic trainers. The trainer -powered by an FJ-44-4M turbofan engine with 15.4 kN of thrust- can carry 1000 kg of armament, reach a speed of 780 km/h, and perform manoeuvres up to 7 g.

The more advanced M346, with two F124 non-afterburning engines putting out 57.6 kN of thrust in total, can reach high subsonic speeds and carry a payload of 3000 kg. Additionally, M346 supports the integration of radars.

Considering the flight performance of the upcoming fighter, it is safe to say being able to keep up in this regard is an important parameter. Additionally, the loyal wingman should be capable of carrying sensors and weaponry of a grade that can give the controlling fighter an edge.

While M345 is significantly cheaper than M346 due to its design, it is equally underwhelming in terms of sensor/weapon provisions and flight performance. Thus, it can be expected that M345 will be the first option to be dropped out.

Converting proven trainers into loyal wingman would involve changes other than an autonomy kit. For example, the space opened by the absence of pilots can allow for more fuel capacity to increase the range.