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List of active Italian military aircraft

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Coat of Arms of the Italian Armed Forces

The following is a list of military aircraft currently used by the four branches of the Italian Armed Forces: Italian Army, Italian Navy, Italian Air Force, and Carabinieri.

Air Force

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Current inventory

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Italian F-35A
An Italian HH139 during Trident Juncture 2015
A C-130J departs RIAT Fairford July 2014
A NH-500E lands at Rome Viterbo Airport
A Piaggio P180 Avanti on approach at RIAT 2011
A HH-101A Caesar
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
Eurofighter UK
Germany
Italy
Spain
Multirole
Operational conversion
F-2000A
TF-2000A
79[1]
14[1]
A total of 96 Typhoons were ordered, of which 3 were lost in accidents. Currently 93 Typhoons are in service. 24 new Typhoons have been ordered in 2024, which will replace 27 Typhoons of Tranche 1.
Eurofighter UK
Germany
Italy
Spain
Multirole Tranche 4 0 24 on order[2]
Tornado UK
Germany
Italy
Multirole
Electronic warfare
Operational conversion
IDS
ECR
IDS
28[1]
13[1]
5
Will be replaced by 95 F-35 (75 F-35A + 20 F-35B) destined for the Air Force (an additional 20 F-35B are destined for the Naval Aviation).
F-35 Lightning II USA
Italy
Multirole F-35A
F-35B
27[3]
4[3]
75 ordered[4]
20 ordered[4]
AEW&C
Gulfstream G550 United States / Israel AEW E550 CAEW 2[1] 3 on order (September 2024)[5]
Electronic warfare
Alenia C-27J Italy Electronic warfare EC-27 Jedi 3[1]
Gulfstream G550 United States / Israel AISREW

"airborne intell, surveillance, reconnaissance electronic warfare"

G550 AEA 0 2 on order + 1 option (September 2024)[5]
Reconnaissance
Super King Air United States SIGINT 350 2[1]
Maritime patrol
ATR 72 France / Italy ASW / patrol P-72AS 4[1]
Tanker
Boeing KC-767 United States Aerial refueling 4[1]
KC-130 Hercules United States Aerial refueling KC-130J 3
Transport
Alenia C-27J Italy Transport 7[1]
Piaggio P.180 Italy VIP 6 11 on order[1]
Airbus A319CJ European Union VIP 3[6]
Airbus A340-500 European Union VIP 1[7] I-TALY: unused since 2018, parked and abandoned at Rome Fiumicino Airport, disputed ownership between Etihad Airways and the Air Force
Dassault Falcon 50 France VIP 2[8]
Dassault Falcon 900 France VIP 3[9]
C-130J Super Hercules United States Tactical airlift 14
Helicopters
AgustaWestland AW101 Italy / United Kingdom Utility / CSAR 12[1]
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy Utility / SAR 30[1]
Trainer aircraft
Alenia M-346 Italy Advanced trainer T-346A 21[1]
Alenia M-345 Italy Advanced trainer T-345A 2 16 on order[1]
Piaggio P.180 Italy Multi-engine trainer 7[1]
Aermacchi MB-339 Italy Jet trainer 48[1]
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 Italy Basic trainer 29[1]
McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Italy Rotorcraft trainer NH-500M 38[1] licensed built by Breda Nardi
UAV
MQ-9A Predator B United States Surveillance 5[10] 1× lost in an accident in 2019
Piaggio-Selex P.1HH Hammerhead Italy Surveillance 6 on order[11]

Italian Army Aviation

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Current inventory

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AW-249 Fenice at the Stella Alpina exercise 2024
A Dornier Do-228 of the Italian Army
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Piaggio P.180 Italy transport 3[12]
Dornier Do 228 Germany transport 3[12] STOL capable aircraft
Helicopters
Agusta A129 Mangusta Italy anti-armor 59[12]
Agusta Bell 206 Italy utility 30
Agusta Bell 205 Italy utility 55
Agusta-Bell 412 United States utility / CASEVAC 21[12] licensed built by Agusta
Agusta-Bell 212 United States utility 9[12] licensed built by Agusta
Boeing CH-47 Chinook United States transport CH-47C/F 22 licensed built by Elicotteri Meridionali
NHIndustries NH90 European Union utility / transport UH-90A 60[13]
AgustaWestland AW169 Italy utility / trainer 2
UAV
AAI RQ-7 Shadow United States surveillance 16 4 TUAS ordered in 2010[14]

Italian Naval Aviation

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Current inventory

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An Italian AV-8B Harrier II+
An AW101 over the aircraft carrier Cavour
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
AV-8B Harrier II United States ground attack AV-8B+ 14[12] V/STOL capable aircraft
F-35 Lightning II United States multirole F-35B 6[3] 20 on order[3]
Transport
Piaggio P.180 Italy transport 3[12]
Helicopters
AgustaWestland AW101 Italy / United Kingdom VERTREP / SAR 17[12]
Agusta-Bell 212 Italy ASW / utility 33[12] licensed built by Agusta
NHIndustries NH90 European Union ASW / Transport NFH / TTH 56
Trainer aircraft
AV-8B Harrier II United States conversion trainer TAV-8B 1[12] V/STOL capable aircraft
UAV
Camcopter S-100 Austria surveillance 2[15][16]
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle United States surveillance 10[17]

Carabinieri

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An Agusta-Bell 412
Aircraft[18] Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Fixed-wing
Piaggio P180 Avanti Italy patrol Avanti II
Helicopters
Agusta-Bell AB412 Italy SAR / utility 412SP/HP licensed built by Agusta
AgustaWestland AW109 Italy utility / patrol 109A/E/Mk.II

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "2024 World Air Forces directory". FlightGlobal.
  2. ^ "Italy signs new Eurofighter Typhoon contract as part of EUR 7.4 billion programme". 2024-12-23. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  3. ^ a b c d "Future Base, Expected FOC And More About The Italian F-35 Fleet". The Aviationist. 29 March 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Giansiracusa, Aurelio. "Ulteriori venticinque F-35 per Aeronautica e Marina Militare". Ares Difesa. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b Peruzzi, Luca (2024-09-06). "Italy enlarges and enforces its fleet of special mission aircraft". EDR Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  6. ^ "AIRBUS A319CJ". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  7. ^ "This Airbus A340-500 is Italy's new Air Force One". The Aviationist. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. ^ "FALCON 50". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  9. ^ "FALCON 900EX". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  10. ^ "MQ-9A PREDATOR B". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  11. ^ "'Aeronautica "cliente di lancio" del Piaggio P.1HH". Analisi Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "World Air Forces 2021". Flightglobal Insight. 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  13. ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. February 2023. p. 10.
  14. ^ "AAI to Provide Shadow Unmanned Aircraft to Italian Army". 21 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  15. ^ "The Aviationist » The Italian Navy is testing a tiny Camcopter drone from its amphibious warfare ship". The Aviationist. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  16. ^ "Messaggio Forum". Regiamarinaitaliana.forumgratis.org. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Insitu: contract with the Italian Navy for ScanEagle UAS aircraft delivery". Avionews.it. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  18. ^ "SERVIZIO AEREO CARABINIERI". aviazione-italiana.it. Retrieved 28 July 2017.