ITALY CONFIRMS F-35 PLANS

[backseatjock]

According to Av Week, Italy has confirmed its intention to acquire 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for its air force and Navy, with deliveries to start in late 2014 and extend through 2028-30.

The air force put up a successful fight to buy at least a squadron of F-35Bs short-takeoff-vertical-landing (stovl) aircraft, against the wishes of the defense ministry, which wanted the air force to standardize on the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) version, leaving the navy as the sole operator of the F-35B.

The U.K.'s decision to shift back to the F-35B, as it had originally planned before shifting to the F-35C, has reinforced the air force's stance.

Overall, Italy has reduced its F-35 buy from 131 to 90 due to budget cuts. The air force is going to get 60 F-35As and 15 F-35Bs, versus an original requirement for a total of 109 F-35s , of which the service wanted 40 to be F-35Bs. The navy will get 15 F-35Bs, while its original requirement was for 22.

[sandiego89]

Interesting mix with the airforce gettings some B's. Wonder if their are ambitions to use them afloat at times? Another carrier?

[Biggus]

Given what's going on in Europe at the moment, it will be interesting to see if this planned purchase survives.....

[Finnpog]

Given what's going on in Europe, it will be interesting to see if Italy survives!!

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Given what's going on, even Europe might not survive,

or the F-35.

[Pheasant]

Interesting mix with the airforce gettings some B's. Wonder if their are ambitions to use them afloat at times? Another carrier?

Unlikely. The IT AF took over the IT FAA some years ago (deja vu now in UK?) - it was a disaster with all the lessons we are (re)learning (competent authority etc) and the FW reverted to IT FAA ownership.

[BEagle]

Can the F-35B fly backwards.......:\

[MrBernoulli]

BEagle, are you accusing the Italians of requiring an aircrfat that 'retreats'? Or something else? ;)

Don't know how Italy will pay for this lot anyway ................

[mini]

'scuse my ignorance but, do the Italians ever go anywhere and do things?

[Bladdered]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - 01 - Italy-Afghanistan: Karzai in Rome, agreement for long-term partnership (http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Sala_Stampa/ArchivioNotizie/Approfondimenti/2012/01/20120126_karzrom.htm)

[mini]

I rest my case...

[Archimedes]

Unlikely. The IT AF took over the IT FAA some years ago (deja vu now in UK?) - it was a disaster with all the lessons we are (re)learning (competent authority etc) and the FW reverted to IT FAA ownership.

I knew that was the state of play between 1923 and 1956, but hadn't realised they'd done the same thing again more recently; d'you happen to know the later dates by any chance?

[BEagle]

'scuse my ignorance but, do the Italians ever go anywhere and do things?

Yes, they do.

On Night 1 of GW1, 8 IAF Tornados launched from Abu Dhabi towards Iraq. One went U/S then, of the remaining 7, only 1 was able to refuel. The reason being that they were tasked to be refuelled by a KC135 using the infamous boom/drogue adaptor. Without a lot of experience, prodding against a BDA is very difficult, but this was at night, in turbulence, in a heavy aircraft on its first war mission....and without the benefit of much training. They can hardly be blamed for being unable to prod the wretched thing.

With 7 out of 8 having aborted, the brave Major Gianmarco Bellini and his navigator, Captain Maurizio Cocciolone pressed on alone per la gloria dell' Italia. Unfortunately they were shot down during the mission, but survived as POWs.

[GreenKnight121]

And Italy conducted combat operations in Libya:
Italy’s role in the war on Libya (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/may2011/ital-m14.shtml)

However, they did regret that later...
Libya War: Italy Wants Out; Will U.K., France Leave Too? - The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/06/23/libya-war-italy-wants-out-will-u-k-and-france-leave-too.html)
PressTV - 'US dragged Italy into Libya war' (http://www.presstv.ir/detail/191591.html)