Italy formally inducted its first fifth generation F-35 stealth fighter during a ceremony held at Italian Air Force Cameri air base on ...
Italy formally inducted its first fifth generation F-35 stealth fighter during a ceremony held at Italian Air Force Cameri air base on Thursday.
Italy’s first F-35A Lightning II, known as AL-1 was assembled at the Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility, which was the program’s first-ever F-35 assembled outside United States.
The facility will assemble both Italy’s F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant and the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant, and is planned to assemble the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s F-35A aircraft in the future.
The Cameri plant is also responsible for Maintenance Repair & Overhaul Upgrade (MRO & U) of all F-35 operating in Europe.
Italy intends to procure 90 F-35A and F-35B variants to replace Italian Air Force and Italian Navy AV-8 Harriers, Panavia Tornados and AMX fighters.
In addition to its responsibility in the operations of the FACO, Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi also produces the F-35A’s full wing-sets. Italian industry has secured $826 million in F-35 production contracts.
The value of these contracts is expected to exceed $9.9 billion over the life of the program. In addition, Engine manufacturing has resulted in $24 million dollars in contracts to Italian companies, with a total program value expected to exceed $4 billion.
The AL-1 completed its maiden flight on September 7, 2015.
