List of active Italian military aircraft

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

Main article: Italian Air Force

Current inventory

An Italian Air Force F-35 Lightning II arrives at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, June 30, 2024

An Italian HH139 during Trident Juncture 2015

A C-130J departs RIAT Fairford July 2014

The Agusta A129 Mangusta

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	13 [3] 4 [3]	75 ordered (2026-2040) [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

Main article: Italian Army

Current inventory

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 228	Germany	transport		3 [12]	STOL capable aircraft
Helicopters
Agusta A129 Mangusta	Italy	anti-armor		59 [12]
Leonardo Helicopters AW249 Fenice	Italy	Attack helicopter			17 on order [13]
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 [14]
AgustaWestland AW169	Italy	utility / trainer		2
UAV
AAI RQ-7 Shadow	United States	surveillance		16	4 TUAS ordered in 2010 [15]

Italian Naval Aviation

Main article: Italian Navy

Current inventory

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 [16] [17]
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle	United States	surveillance		10 [18]

Carabinieri

Main article: Carabinieri

An Agusta-Bell 412

Aircraft [19]	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

• Italian Armed Forces

References

1. "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. "Future Base, Expected FOC And More About The Italian F-35 Fleet". The Aviationist. 29 March 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
4. Giansiracusa, Aurelio. "Ulteriori venticinque F-35 per Aeronautica e Marina Militare". Ares Difesa. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
5. 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. "World Air Forces 2021" . Flightglobal Insight. 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
13. "Italy Invests in Leonardo AW249 Attack Helicopters to Enhance Air Support and Reconnaissance". Army Recognition. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
14. AirForces Monthly . Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. February 2023. p. 10.
15. "AAI to Provide Shadow Unmanned Aircraft to Italian Army". 21 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
16. "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.
17. "Messaggio Forum". Regiamarinaitaliana.forumgratis.org. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
18. "Insitu: contract with the Italian Navy for ScanEagle UAS aircraft delivery". Avionews.it. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
19. "Servizio Aereo Carabinieri". aviazione-italiana.it. Retrieved 28 July 2017.