DefenceTalkCAMERI AIR BASE, Italy: Italy’s first F-35A Lightning II, known as AL-1 and assembled at the Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility, flew for the first time today marking the program’s first-ever F-35 flight outside the United States. Lockheed Martin F-35 test pilot Bill “Gigs” Gigliotti, lifted off the runway at 1:05 p.m. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/maiden-flight-for-the-first-f-35-made-in-italy-65292/

DefenceTalkAgustaWestland announced today a major milestone in the modernization of the Italian Coast Guard’s helicopter fleet, with the delivery of three further AW139 intermediate twin aircraft and an order for two more aircraft. The delivery ceremony was attended by Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Graziano Delrio; Chief of Italian Coast Guard, Felicio Angrisano and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/italian-coast-guard-expands-its-aw139-helicopter-fleet-64819/

DefenceTalkNATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment Patrick Auroy welcomed the activation of NATO’s new Air Command and Control System (ACCS). Italy recently decided to declare the first ACCS site operational, with other NATO and national sites to follow in 2015 and subsequent years. Poggio Renatico in Italy is the first ACCS site in NATO […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-welcomes-activation-of-new-air-command-and-control-system-64787/

DefenceTalkThe frigate “Carabiniere” was delivered today at the Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard. It is the fourth vessel of the FREMM program – Multi Mission European Frigates – commissioned to Fincantieri within the international Italian-French program, coordinated by OCCAR (the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation). Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri and 49% Finmeccanica) is the Italian […]https://www.defencetalk.com/fremm-carabiniere-delivered-to-the-italian-navy-64046/

DefenceTalkOrizzonte Sistemi Navali S.p.A., a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Finmeccanica (49%), and prime contractor for Italy within the international Italian-French FREMM – Multi Mission European Frigates – program, was notified by OCCAR (the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) of the option exercise for the construction of the ninth and tenth vessel, completing the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/italy-orders-final-two-fremm-frigates-63860/

DefenceTalkAgustaWestland announced today it has completed the delivery of the Italian Police’s AW139 intermediate twin helicopters at the end of December 2014. Deliveries started in mid-2013 and now eight aircraft are in service at five different bases in central and southern Italy comprising three aircraft in Pratica di Mare close to Rome, two helicopters in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/agustawestland-delivers-final-aw139-helicopter-to-italian-police-62809/

DefenceTalkAlenia Aermacchi and ARMAEREO (Italian National Armaments Directorate) signed today in Rome a contract worth 120 million Euros to provide the Italian Air Force with further three advanced trainer aircraft M-346 (identified as T-346A by the Italian Air Force), with ground base training system and relevant logistic support included. The contract is part of a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/italy-orders-3-more-aermacchi-t-346-trainers-61198/

DefenceTalkAn Italian court on Thursday acquitted senior executives of military consortium Finmeccanica of corruption charges in the VVIP helicopter deal with India, but [India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI] insists that the verdict would not adversely affect its ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore 2010 deal. The Milan court […]https://www.defencetalk.com/italian-court-acquits-finmeccanica-bribery-charges-helicopter-deal-60738/

DefenceTalkThe Croatian Army received more than two dozen military vehicles from excess Army inventory at a ceremony in Croatia, April 7. The 30 Maxx PRO Plus model Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles, known as MRAPs, were being divested from Army inventory and were available for Foreign Military Sales. About a year and a half ago, the Army […]https://www.defencetalk.com/afsbn-italy-prepares-mraps-for-transfer-to-croatia-59379/

DefenceTalkThe first M-346 advanced trainer for the Israeli Air & Space Force was rolled out today in a ceremony held at Alenia Aermacchi’s plant in Venegono Superiore, Italy. In July 2012, Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company, was awarded a contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defence (IMOD) to supply 30 M-346 advanced jet trainer aircraft, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/alenia-aermacchi-roll-out-first-m-346-for-israel-59115/