The new training center for F-35 fighter pilots—the first outside of the United States—is expected to be operational by 2028.

Last November, the Italian Air Force announced plans to create an international training facility for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Currently, all pilots from allied and partner nations receive their F-35 training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, following its relocation from Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona. The latter base remains the primary hub for US F-35A pilot training, with Eglin AFB, Florida, serving as the foundational training site for military aviators on the fifth-generation stealth fighter.

This week, however, the Italian military formally announced that Trapani-Birgi Air Base in Sicily would become the first F-35 training location outside the United States.

Initial ground training will begin at the base in December 2028, followed by the launch of the “Lightning Training Centre” by July 2029. It will serve as the future multinational base for NATO and other partner nations in Europe.

The announcement isn’t entirely a surprise; confirmation of that had been planned for months.

“Sicily will be the first place outside the United States where F-35 pilots will be trained,” Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto told ANSA news last year.

The Italian Ministry of Defense has committed €112.6 million ($131 million) to the project, with Trapani-Birgi Air Base also becoming the NATO member’s third operational base for the Lightning II.

The Italian Air Force currently operates its fleet of F-35s from two other bases—Amendola Air Base, home of the 32nd Wing; and Ghedi Air Base, home to the 6th Wing.

The new training center will be equipped with two full mission simulators, to help the center respond “to the growing demand for training driven by the increased involvement of NATO and European nations in the program,” the ministry explained.

The F-35 Lightning II’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2016
• Number Built: ~750 (F-35A)
• Length: 51.4 feet (15.6 m)
• Wingspan: 35 feet (10.7 m)
• Weight (MTOW): 70,000 lb (31,750 kg)
• Engines: One Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan (40,000 lb thrust)
• Top Speed: ~1,200 mph (1,931 km/h) / Mach 1.6
• Range: ~1,200 nmi (1,350 mi, 2,220 km) with internal fuel
• Service Ceiling: ~50,000 ft (15,240 m)
• Loadout: Internal 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and two GBU-31 JDAMs.
• Aircrew: 1

Italy’s History with the F-35 Program

Italy remains a major partner in the F-35 program, and current plans call for it to expand its fleet to 115 Lightning IIs, including 75 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants and 40 short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B aircraft. The latter are operated from the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) flagship, the aircraft carrier Cavour, and the multipurpose assault ship Trieste.

The NATO partner is also home to a Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility, located near Cameri Air near Milan. The facility was developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin and Italy’s Leonardo, which handles assembly of the F-35A and F-35B models and produces wing sets for the aircraft. The location also serves as a major maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade (MROU) hub for European F-35s.

To date, the MROU hub has “serviced Italian, Norwegian and Dutch F-35s, and last year a UK-based American F-35 flew in for servicing,” Defense News reported.

The first CTOL aircraft was completed at the Cameri FACO in 2015, with the initial STOVL model “rolled out” of the facility two years later.

The Lightning Training Centre will also be completed as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, with the US aerospace firm providing the simulators and other advanced training systems. The Italian-based Leonardo will manage the engineering data, in accordance with all US regulations and security agreements. Construction on the facility is expected to begin this year, with initial operational capability (IOC) to be reached by December 2028.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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