Amendola Pioneers [Italian F-35A/Bs]

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 18 Jul 2019, 08:42

Amendola Pioneers [Six Page PDF attached]
David Cenciotti Aug 2019

"The Italian Air Force is making huge strides with its F-35 Lightning IIs, joining a number of international exercises and
flexing the muscles of its new fighters, as David Cenciotti discovers....

…Second Italian F-35B in the US
In common with the UK and US Marine Corps, Italy is procuring the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B variant. The second example to be produced at the Final Assembly and Checkout (FACO) facility at Cameri, BL-02 (MM7452/‘4-02’), has now joined the first example at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, where it will train Marina Militare (Italian Navy) pilots. The jet is seen landing at Cameri after a test flight on May 29, wearing Marina Militare markings and squadron badge, but still lacking its individual code: ‘4-02’. The aircraft first flew last October 15, but only resumed test flights around six months later.

The first Italian-built F-35B, BL-01 (MM7451/‘4-01’) took to the air at Cameri on October 24, 2017. After a series of ‘confidence flights’ from the base, it was flown to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the following January by an Italian pilot. Following electromagnetic compatibility tests there, it relocated to Beaufort to join the multinational training effort. The Cameri FACO is due to assemble 60 Italian F-35As and 30 F-35Bs for the Aeronautica Militare and Marina Militare.

Source: AirForces Monthly August 2019 Issue 377

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 18 Jul 2019, 10:27

THANK YOU

herciv · by **herciv** » 12 May 2021, 10:22

Italian F-35 deployed in Baltic :
https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/up ... 36x857.jpg
"The Italian Air Force has deployed four F-35A Lightning II jets to Ämari Air Base in Estonia; this is the first time one of the most advanced combat aircraft are serving as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission."
https://estonianworld.com/security/pict ... irst-time/

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 12 May 2021, 10:36

herciv wrote:Italian F-35 deployed in Baltic :
https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/up ... 36x857.jpg
"The Italian Air Force has deployed four F-35A Lightning II jets to Ämari Air Base in Estonia; this is the first time one of the most advanced combat aircraft are serving as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission."
https://estonianworld.com/security/pict ... irst-time/

You can bet the Italian F-35's have Luneburg lens/radar reflector on them..... :wink:

herciv · by **herciv** » 12 May 2021, 13:34

Corsair1963 wrote:
herciv wrote:Italian F-35 deployed in Baltic :
https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/up ... 36x857.jpg
"The Italian Air Force has deployed four F-35A Lightning II jets to Ämari Air Base in Estonia; this is the first time one of the most advanced combat aircraft are serving as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission."
https://estonianworld.com/security/pict ... irst-time/

You can bet the Italian F-35's have Luneburg lens/radar reflector on them.....

I have looked at all the pictures in the articles and perhaps yes but i'm not sure.

zhangmdev · by **zhangmdev** » 12 May 2021, 13:41

Not sure?

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 12 May 2021, 22:52

herciv wrote:
Corsair1963 wrote:
herciv wrote:Italian F-35 deployed in Baltic :
https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/up ... 36x857.jpg
"The Italian Air Force has deployed four F-35A Lightning II jets to Ämari Air Base in Estonia; this is the first time one of the most advanced combat aircraft are serving as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission."
https://estonianworld.com/security/pict ... irst-time/

You can bet the Italian F-35's have Luneburg lens/radar reflector on them.....

I have looked at all the pictures in the articles and perhaps yes but i'm not sure.

Just look at the pictures in the below link....

https://estonianworld.com/security/pict ... 6EgDNeQfe4

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 17 May 2021, 22:06

Italy Launches First Intercept with F-35 Supporting NATO Baltic Air Policing
14 May 2021 NATO Allied Air Command

"RAMSTEIN, Germany - In the early morning of May 14, the Italian Air Force F-35 pilots deployed to Ämari Air Base, Estonia, supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, executed their first intercept since they arrived in early May.

The Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, recorded an unidentified track in the Baltic Sea ordered flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad and ordered an alert scramble for the F-35s mission to identify that track. Upon take- off, the Italian NATO aircraft approached and identified a Russian An-12 transport aircraft executing the first ever intercept by an F-35 under NATO orders in the Baltic Sea.

The Russian military transport plane was flying over international waters close to the Estonian coast; it was not on a flight plan and not sending a transponder signal causing a potential risk to other airspace users. Upon completing the identification, the Italian fighter aircraft returned to Ämari Air Base...."

Source: https://www.f35.com/f35/news-and-featur ... rcept.html

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 09 Jun 2021, 21:01

Amendola F-35s intercept Russian Cub / Flankers.

A video shows an interesting intercept that occurred in international airspace off Estonia.
It was just a matter of time but, in the end, a pretty interesting (and quite relaxed) close encounter between a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM two-seat multirole aircraft and two Italian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft, took place in the Baltic Region.

One video and two shots, released today by the popular “Fighter Bomber” (@fighter_bomber_) Instagram account, show a Russian Su-30SM Flanker derivative flying alongside two F-35As over the Baltic Sea, somewhere off Estonia, where the Italian stealth jets are deployed to carry out QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) task in support of NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.

The short clip shows the two F-35s approaching what seems to be a An-12 (like the one already intercepted by the Italians in that scenario on May 14) aircraft that is probably flying to/from Kaliningrad oblast escorted by at least one Su-30SM.

https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/09/r ... itaf-f-35/

doge · by **doge** » 25 Jun 2021, 19:58

basher54321 wrote:Amendola F-35s intercept Russian Cub / Flankers.

A video shows an interesting intercept that occurred in international airspace off Estonia.
It was just a matter of time but, in the end, a pretty interesting (and quite relaxed) close encounter between a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM two-seat multirole aircraft and two Italian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft, took place in the Baltic Region.

One video and two shots, released today by the popular “Fighter Bomber” (@fighter_bomber_) Instagram account, show a Russian Su-30SM Flanker derivative flying alongside two F-35As over the Baltic Sea, somewhere off Estonia, where the Italian stealth jets are deployed to carry out QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) task in support of NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.

The short clip shows the two F-35s approaching what seems to be a An-12 (like the one already intercepted by the Italians in that scenario on May 14) aircraft that is probably flying to/from Kaliningrad oblast escorted by at least one Su-30SM.

https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/09/r ... itaf-f-35/

Historical footage. :shock:

Wow