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The F-35 aircraft of the 32nd Stormo implement the national air defense system

05/03/2018 05 Marzo 2018
Autore Magg. Leonardo Del Vecchio

In Amendola the operation of the new 5th generation weapon system supplied to the AM started

From March 1, 2018, the JSF assets of the 32nd Wing of Amendola (FG) are officially part of the National Air Defense device as they are functionally included in the Air Space Surveillance Service (SSSA), a fundamental institutional task of the AM.

The achievement of this important objective is part of the broader development of the countless operational capabilities of the F-35 weapon system. The validation of this capacity was obtained through an intense and complex training of the crews and technical staff of the Department and following numerous tests carried out with positive results in full synergy and coordination with the other Armed Forces in charge of the Air Defense.

This testifies to the wide operational versatility of the weapon system, designed to perform many types of air operations, with the unique characteristic of being able to receive and redistribute an extraordinary flow of information essential for achieving information superiority, a nodal element of the complex aerial operations.

Thanks to the implementation of this operational capability, the F-35 multi - role firearm system will make a valuable contribution in ensuring the defense of national airspace from possible threats against the country and its citizens.

The 32nd Stormo, the first Department in Europe to acquire JSF aircraft, also carries out operational, training and technical activities of Predator piloted aircraft in order to acquire and maintain the capacity to carry out national and coalition ISTAR operations. Furthermore, it provides and completes the training of the APR pilots through the MB-339 aircraft in order to ensure an adequate level of training on traditional piloted aircraft.

vilters wrote:Congrats on a fine piece of paper.
How mant are code1?

One or both?
Because you are not going to even "try" to tell us that you can launch a flight of 4, fully armed and ready for combat, at NATO's command in let's say 15 minutes from now?

ROME — Italy’s commitment to the F-35 fighter jet may be in doubt, as an Italian political party which has promised to scrap the program edges closer to power.

Formed in 2009 to fight corruption and waste in politics, Five Star officials last year said they would scrap the F-35 program if they took office.

“There will be no ifs or buts about leaving the F-35 program,” Tatiana Basilio, a Five Star member of Parliament, said in May.

Basilio said Italy should have opted instead to upgrade its Eurofighter aircraft to take on the strike role destined for the F-35.

Basilio said Italy should have opted instead to upgrade its Eurofighter aircraft to take on the strike role destined for the F-35

ricnunes wrote:My take on the political situation in Italy regarding that "5 start" coalition parties and the F-35 is the following:
- They are a coalition of "populist" parties which one of its banners is to create jobs for the Italians - If they scrap the F-35 lots and lots of Italian jobs would be lost (which would contradict one of its most important banners) or did they forgot that Italy hosts a F-35 factory which builds/assembles complete F-35s?
Anyway I don't think that such thing could happen (Italy canceling the F-35) but then again the human being (actually some human beings) can be really, really stupid!

magitsu wrote:Yeah right.

You only need to take a quick look towards Aviano's nuke storage (the largest one in continental Europe) to see why at least limited F-35A purchase is vital for Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_sharing
It would be stupid to start a domestic program for that kind of limited need.

magitsu wrote:Yeah right.

You only need to take a quick look towards Aviano's nuke storage (the largest one in continental Europe) to see why at least limited F-35A purchase is vital for Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_sharing
It would be stupid to start a domestic program for that kind of limited need. But having it there is indeed a vital security policy need, because it ensures that the US has to be committed to Italy more than most in the region. Not having them there would cost even more, since you'd need to replace that defensive asset with something of your own.

There's a real need for both nuke and carrier purposes and no other alternatives once the Tornado retires. Apart from that it was probably some kind of small bet that there could be business in it for the Italian aviation sector. They wanted one of the plants where finished F-35s come out, like Japan. Thus far it hasn't paid off, but who knows. Cutting their own order short would ensure a big write off. That plant in Cameri must have cost at least a billion extra to get. Never mind the private sector investment. "The Italian F-35 program’s production phase alone is expected to bring $15.8 billion of economic benefits to the Italian economy." https://www.f35.com/global/participatio ... ticipation
http://www.sldinfo.com/cameri-italy-and ... al-report/

This path of political folly would just lead to Italian procurement becoming similar laughing stock like Canada. A lot of fuzz, but in the end the clowns realize that there's no better alternative.
There's also 75 Tornados to replace. Italian Navy might be argued went too far by getting 29 F-35B after having 15 Harriers. But it should've been considered when building new naval platforms. It would make no sense to buy them and then not have enough planes on them. Though the Royal Navy is kind of doing something similar with QE and low F-35B numbers.

Italy's number isn't even that big. 131 for a country with GDP (PPP) of $2.233 trillion. Australia buys 72 with GDP (PPP) of $1.24 trillion. Norway buys 52 with GDP (PPP) of $0.405 trillion.

Basically Italy wants to be a certain sized player internationally, which means certain things with regard to keeping up necessary military capabilities.

nutshell wrote:You dont need to give me numbers to state the obvious: technically speaking the winged services are in dire need of the F35.

Still, you dont expect Albania or Moldavia or whatever to buy a 5th gen plane. They have no money.
Italy is in THAT position.
Cannot be any easier than this.

The economic benefit is a moot point. Already said the (disastrous) the reason.

Italian F-35 production is expected to generate more than 6,300 total jobs at peak production. The demand for labor will reach its highest levels between 2017 and 2026, when an average of 5,400 jobs are projected to be sustained annually.

The Italian F-35 program’s production phase alone is expected to bring $15.8 billion of economic benefits to the Italian economy.

Each Italian F-35 production job creates an additional 1.2 jobs in the Italian economy.

The economic potential for Italy through the F-35 program is a direct function of the number of aircraft procured on the planned acquisition timeline.

nutshell wrote:No, all the parties are actually interested in cutting the JSF program right now. The next DPEF should be around 20B and the cut would cover for it. It's the easy way.


Still wondering how that M5S meme is surviving tho(the movement won't even be elected anyway), since in reality, it's the only party that is prioritizing on getting the needed money from the reforming of public administration; which would net over 10B per year alone (so it's the real long term solution) and the re-taxation of the VLTs industry (which is a plague here evading some serious biillions thanks to the former Letta's government).

nutshell wrote:Now, Leonardo is a big company but not THAT big NS in case you didn't know, it's equally involved in the Eurofighter consortium.
So, the company would get their money one way or another. The jobs lost is sort of a non issue there.

nutshell wrote:You know, Italy don't need the F35. Italy need the founds to restart the country or else, it's facing starvation. We're not talking about some houndred of thousands of jobs here, but fu*ing tens of millions.

ricnunes wrote:What Italy doesn't need are Tornados, Eurofighters and AV-8Bs!
Retire all these redundant aircraft and maintain a fleet composed only by F-35As and F-35Bs and in the process you'll (Italy) have:
1- A top notch air force, one of the best and most capable air/naval forces in the world.
2- Save Billions of actual Euros in the process!

Corsair1963 wrote:

ricnunes wrote:What Italy doesn't need are Tornados, Eurofighters and AV-8Bs!
Retire all these redundant aircraft and maintain a fleet composed only by F-35As and F-35Bs and in the process you'll (Italy) have:
1- A top notch air force, one of the best and most capable air/naval forces in the world.
2- Save Billions of actual Euros in the process!

Plus, those new F-35's would come from an Italian Plant.

ricnunes wrote:

Corsair1963 wrote:

-snip

Quinta generazione Italiana
July 2018 Riccardo Niccoli

"Riccardo Niccoli visited Italy’s F-35 wing at Amendola in the southern province of Puglia..."

Source: AIR International Magazine July 2018 Vol.95 No.1

Italy F-35s reach initial operating capability
30 Nov 2018 Tom Kington

"Italian Air Force F-35s have reached initial operating capability, Gen. Alberto Rosso, the country’s air force chief, said Nov. 30. The announcement marked the first time the aircraft has achieved the milestone in Europe. Officials broke the news at Italy’s Amendola Air Base in southern Italy, where eight Italian F-35s are stationed...

...Italy has said it will order 90 F-35s, including 60 F-35As and 30 F-35Bs, although the current Italian government, which took office in June, has declined to provide a final total.

Italy has thus far taken delivery of 10 F-35As and one F-35B. Two of the As and the B aircraft are being used for training in the United States, while eight of the As have been deployed to Amendola. However, one aircraft is back at the Italian assembly line for maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade. The Italian aircraft have totaled 2,000 flying hours.

A series of milestones since the delivery of the first aircraft to Amendola in December 2016 prompted officials to declare the new milestone. Those included the placing of aircraft on operational alert status in March. Then in June, four aircraft were deployed to Rivolto air base in northern Italy where they flew training exercises across the border at Polygone electronic warfare range in Germany. “The weather was terrible and it played a major part in the obtaining of IOC,” said one official....

...Base commander Col. Davide Marzinotto said another key factor was upgrading all eight aircraft to Block 3F software from the previous Block 3i. “The U.S. Marines declared IOC with Block 3i, but we decided on the upgrade to 3F before doing so,” he said. Weaponry enabled through Block 3i included the AMRAAM missile, and GBU 12 and 31 munitions. With Block 3F software, Gatling guns can be used as well as the GBU 39 small diameter bomb.

Marzinotto said he was monitoring the F-35’s ALIS logistics system, which has raised concern over the potential need among F-35 partners to share sensitive data on aircraft use in order to benefit from the common system. “ALIS is a new approach and there was a need to find a right balance between sovereignty and support, given that when you want to share spare parts supply you need to share information,” he said.

“ALIS is a great evolution,” he added, but “it is a challenge to protect information. After air forces asked for it, we will be the first outside the U.S. to receive, in the first quarter of next year, an upgrade to satisfy the careful sharing of information.”"

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/11 ... apability/