Italy Considers Acquiring 20 More F-35 Fighter Jets to Strengthen Its Air Force.

The Italian Air Force, Aeronautica Militare, is considering the acquisition of 20 additional F-35 fighter-bombers, marking a new phase in the Joint Strike Fighter program, in which Italy participates as a level 2 industrial partner. With an assembly plant located in Cameri, Italy initially committed in October 2008 to acquiring 131 F-35s, split between 69 F-35As and 62 F-35Bs, to replace the Aeronautica Militare’s Tornado aircraft and the Marina Militare’s AV-8B Harrier II.
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F-35B Lightning II performs flight operations from amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 30, 2021 (Picture source: US DoD)

The F-35A and F-35B are variants of the fifth-generation fighter-bomber developed by Lockheed Martin as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program. The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing version, primarily used by air forces. Its production began in 2006, and it entered service in 2016. The F-35B, designed for short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL), is mainly used by navies and air forces that require operations from aircraft carriers or advanced bases. Production of the F-35B started in 2009, with service entry in 2015. Both versions feature advanced stealth technologies, cutting-edge avionics, and integrated sensors for electronic warfare and reconnaissance. The F-35A can carry a wide range of munitions, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, while the F-35B offers the additional capability of operating from short runways and ships, providing increased operational flexibility.

To restore fiscal balance and reassure financial markets, the government of Mario Monti announced savings of over 20 billion euros between 2011 and 2014. The Italian armed forces were significantly impacted by these measures, leading to a reduction of the order to 90 units—60 F-35As and 30 F-35Bs, with 15 intended for the Marina Militare. In 2014, the Italian Democratic Party, led by Enrico Letta, proposed halving the number of F-35s, arguing that every euro invested would go to Lockheed Martin's coffers.

Despite ongoing debates, criticisms of the F-35 program persisted within Italian political circles, often used for electoral purposes. Some of these critiques were justified, notably those from Guido Crosetto, then president of the Federazione delle aziende italiane per l’aerospazio, la difesa e la sicurezza (AIAD), who in 2017 deemed the industrial benefits disappointing.

Nevertheless, the Aeronautica Militare never lost sight of its initial objective to obtain the full complement of F-35A/Bs promised in 2008. The war in Ukraine has reinforced this objective. In March 2023, during a hearing at the Chamber of Deputies, Air Force Chief of Staff General Luca Goretti emphasized the need to return to the initial target of 131 F-35A/Bs. He asserted that the F-35 is the most advanced weapon system available today, crucial for ensuring irreplaceable capabilities for an air force aiming to be strategically relevant and operationally decisive.

This request appears to have found support. In the latest issue of its official magazine, Rivista Aeronautica, which reviews operational activities of 2023, the Aeronautica Militare suggests expanding its fleet to 75 F-35As and 20 F-35Bs, as opposed to the current plans of 60 F-35As and 15 F-35Bs, thus adding 20 more aircraft.

Furthermore, while the acquisition of an additional 24 Eurofighter EF-2000s is included in the Italian government's budget documents, the proposal for the 20 additional F-35s has not yet been officially mentioned. In 2023, the Aeronautica Militare had 23 F-35As and 2 F-35Bs, based in Ghedi (Lombardy), Amendola (Apulia), and the United States (Luke Air Force Base).