F35 Top gun school starts in Trapani-Birgi: it will be the first outside the USA

A new global training centre for F-35 fighter jets will be set up in Trapani-Birgi, Sicily, and will be the twin facility of the one already operational at the Luke Air Force base in Arizona, in the United States. This was confirmed by the chairman of the Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Nino Minardo (Forza Italia). It was Defence Minister Guido Crosetto who announced last July that Sicily would be the first place outside the United States 'where F-35 pilots will be trained'.

"Work on Trapani-Birgi will begin next spring and will be completed by the spring of 2028," explains Defence Committee Chairman Nino Minardo, pointing out that the project "will bring significant economic benefits to Sicily, thanks to an allied industry that will involve not only the military and civil sectors, but also strategic companies such as Leonardo and Lockheed Martin. For the MEP, the construction of the new centre 'will lead to the creation of new jobs, technological specialisation and opportunities for local companies'. 'It is an investment that reinforces Sicily's role as an advanced platform for the defence and related industries, a fast-growing sector,' Minardo concludes, 'and one that fits in perfectly with the development of ports and infrastructure. The island will thus be able to become a strategic hub in the Mediterranean, with concrete benefits for the economy and employment'.

Italy is also one of two countries in the world (the other is Japan), outside the USA, where the F-35 is assembled. The FACO (Final Assembly and Check Out) in Cameri, Piedmont, managed by Leonardo, produces all the F-35A (CTOL) and F-35 (STOVL-Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) aircraft destined for the Air Force and the Navy, respectively, and all the examples ordered by the Netherlands. At the end of 2014, the Italian plant was chosen by the US Department of Defence as the main centre for Europe for all F-35 Heavy Airframe Maintenance Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) activities.

Tensions with the US, not least the tariffs factor, have prompted some countries to think about the possibility of reviewing the purchase of American fighter jets. Donald Trump's first months in the White House have convinced them to rethink their defence and security strategies. The latest was the Spanish government. Madrid has decided to focus on European fighters for the renewal of its air force, choosing the Eurofighter and the future Fcas system, thus excluding the purchase of the US F-35, fifth-generation fighters.

The Multi-Annual Planning Document (MOPD) for the period 2024-2026 envisages the acquisition of a further 25 F35 aircraft and their engines, equipment, periodic upgrades and logistic support until the foreseeable year 2035, bringing the national fleet to a total of 115 aircraft. The additional 25 machines are divided into 15 F-35A and 10 F-35B, of which those in the so-called Conventional Take-Off Landing (CTOL) version are destined for the Air Force, while of the STOVL (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing) version, five are destined for the same Armed Force and five for the Navy. The requirements of the operation amount to EUR 7 billion.