Italy Armed Forces thread:

Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US

ROME — The first joint strike fighter assembled outside the US rolled off an assembly line in Italy on Thursday, Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

The aircraft, designated AL-1, was the first of eight aircraft being assembled at the final assembly and check out (FACO) facility at Cameri Air Base in northern Italy. AL-1 is due to fly for the first time later this year, Lockheed Martin said.

Italy is assembling its F-35s at Cameri, currently an order of 90 aircraft, and will assemble Dutch aircraft as well. The facility is also being used to build wing sets under contract to Lockheed Martin. The first wing section has been completed and is due to be shipped to Lockheed's Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 production line for final assembly.

Owned by the Italian Ministry of Defense, Cameri is operated by Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi and Lockheed Martin, with 750 staff now based at the 101-acre facility, which includes 22 buildings and over a million square feet of covered workspace.

Last December, the site was chosen by the DoD as Europe's F-35 airframe maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade center, which should guarantee work for Cameri after Italy's jets have been assembled.

Italy Beefs Up Air, Naval Presence in Med

ROME — Italy said Thursday it would increase its military presence in the central Mediterranean, describing a deadly attack on a museum in Tunis as fresh evidence of a growing threat from extremist groups.

"Following a worsening of the terrorist threat, dramatically demonstrated by yesterday's events in Tunisia, an increase in our air and naval deployments in the central Mediterranean has become necessary," Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti told the parliamentary defence and foreign affairs committee.

At least two Italian tourists died in Wednesday's attack on the Bardo museum in Tunis.

The minister said the increased military presence was required to defend Italy's multiple interests in the area in light of the growing risk posed by the presence of extremist groups and to ensure consistent levels of maritime security.

"North Africa has to represent our primary concern," Pinotti told lawmakers.

On top of the forces usually deployed, Italy has moved additional naval units, a maritime protection team, helicopters, planes and drones into the area, she added.

Pinotti said the extra resources were needed to protect communication lines, merchant shipping and offshore platforms and to facilitate increased surveillance of potential jihadist activity.

Italy has been on a heightened state of alert on its own territory for the last month following Islamic State's execution of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya and threats by the group that it could seek to carry out terror attacks on the former colonial power.

Italian security chiefs are concerned that IS appears to be gaining a foothold in conflict-wracked Libya and could use it as a base to mount attacks on merchant ships or on Italy.

The chaos in Libya is also seen as a key factor driving an acceleration in the number of migrants arriving on Italy's shores by boat with current rates pointing to more than 200,000 landing this year.

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni warned last month that IS loyalists could team up with battle-hardened militia fighters in Libya and seize control of parts of the country.

Rome says it is ready to lead a peacekeeping operation in Libya on condition that the warring parties agree to lay down their weapons and the UN issues a green light.

Italy will also face Greece like scenario . Whole PIIGS would .

Italy Orders 2 More Fremm Frigates

ROME — Italy has ordered two more FREMM frigates, completing its planned order of 10 vessels, the Italian consortium building the ships said on Thursday.

The value of the order was €764 million (US $812.2 million), according to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture in which Italian shipyard Fincantieri holds 51 percent and Finmeccanica 49 percent.

The program, which was launched with France, has been is run by European program office OCCAR.

The new ships, which will be delivered after 2020, are 144 meters long with a 6,700-ton displacement, accommodation for a crew of 200 and a maximum speed of more than 27 knots.

"The Italian and French program for the new FREMM [multipurpose] European multimission frigates is the most important European military naval program ever implemented," said Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti.

Italian aircraft carrier Cavour









http://i-korotchenko.livejournal.com/1053960.html

New Italian training aircraft

A Glider?

"An AgustaWestland AW609 prototype has crashed near Santhià, in northwestern Italy, killing two test pilots on Oct. 30. The tilt-rotor aircraft had taken off from Agusta’s airfield at Vergiate and the cause of the crash is still unknown. According to the first reports the aircraft was in fire before it crashed into the ground. The AW609 is a twin-engined next-gen tiltrotor VTOL aircraft: like the V-22 Osprey it is capable of taking off and landing vertically as a “normal” helicopter while having a range and speed in excess of conventional rotorcraft. The AW609 is aimed at civil aviation (both private and commercial operators), government and para-public roles: with space for 9 passengers it’s a multi-role aircraft that can be configured for passenger transport, search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime surveillance, training and government applications." - via http://theaviationist.com/2015/10/30/agustawestland-aw609-tilt-rotor-prototype-aircraft-crashes-in-italy-killing-two-test-pilots/









Source: http://www.helipress.it/schede-1475-agustawestland_aw609_precipita_a_vercelli_2_morti
Translated: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sr&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.helipress.it%2Fschede-1475-agustawestland_aw609_precipita_a_vercelli_2_morti&edit-text=

Is this an Osprey equivalent?

George1 wrote:Is this an Osprey equivalent?

They share some design features however they are in totally different classes in terms of size and capabilities.





It looks like AW609 will perform mostly VIP transport, medievac and light transport for offshore drilling platforms and similar.

It is still a prototype and maybe even a tech demonstrator for later projects if their "pilot" project does not met the requirements and the expectancy to be marketable.

"Nov 4 The U.S. State Department has approved a longstanding request from Italy to arm its two MQ-9 Reaper drones with Hellfire missiles, laser-guided bombs and other munitions, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. This would be the first sale of armed drones approved since the U.S. government established a policy in February for exports of the new type of weapons that have played a key role in U.S. military actions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. Italy would be only the second country to be approved to buy armed drones after Britain, which has been using them since 2007, according to the officials who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of a formal announcement later Wednesday.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified U.S. lawmakers late Tuesday about the possible sale, which is valued at $129.6 million, with privately held General Atomics to serve as the prime contractor, the officials said. Italy has been asking the United States since 2012 to add weapons to two unarmed MQ-9 Reapers, whose sale was first approved in 2009. Turkey has also requested to buy armed drones from the United States. Initially U.S. lawmakers had concerns, ultimately spurring an interagency review that produced the new drone export policy.



U.S. lawmakers have 15 days to block the sale but such action is rare since deals are carefully vetted before Congress is formally notified. The proposed sale includes 156 AGM-114R2 Hellfire II missiles built by Lockheed Martin Corp, 20 GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, 30 GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions and other armaments, according to the officials. One official said any exports of drones, armed or not, require a case-by-case assessment and close scrutiny, but the sale was ultimately approved because Italy was a key ally and partner of the United States. "It's not a decision we've taken lightly, and it's symbolic of our trust in Italy as a partner," the official said. "Italy is a responsible member of the international community and they have been with us in every significant recent NATO and U.S.-led operation."

Italy asked for the drones to support NATO and coalition operations, increase operational flexibility, and better protect deployed Italian forces. The new U.S. export policy maintains "a strong presumption of denial" of sales of the biggest drones like the MQ-9 - Category I aircraft that have a range of at least 300 km (186 miles) and can carry a payload of at least 500 kg (1,102 pounds). It allows such exports on rare occasions. Under the policy, buyers of military drones must agree to strict conditions, including a ban on using the drones for unlawful surveillance or to crack down on their domestic populations."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/italy-usa-drones-idUSL1N12Z05620151104#Y8iDQxiaPp7b0TjU.99

Italian Army Chief Urges Long-Term Procurement Funding

ROME — The head of the cash-strapped Italian Army has demanded more long-term procurement funding rather than Italy’s usual, haphazard defense budgeting as a likely Army deployment to Libya draws closer.

Gen. Danilo Errico said he was pushing for spending plans spanning 18 years for the Army, up from Italy’s current three-year budgets, to allow it to map out long-term investments without fearing the loss of funds from year to year.

The Army has watched with a touch of envy as the Navy booked a €5.4 billion (US $5.9 billion) windfall from the government in 2015 for fleet renewal, while the Air Force moves ahead with F-35 procurement, albeit at a slower rate than it would like.

Speaking at a conference in Rome about the future of the Army on Jan. 12, Errico said his service was responsible for 75 percent of Italy’s military interventions since World War II, with the Navy and the Air Force covering the other quarter.

As budgets have plunged in Italy over the last decade, procurement has slowed and maintenance and operations spending for all services has crippled readiness across the armed forces. But the Army will be particularly anxious over missing spare parts and slashed training given the likelihood of a deployment to Libya.

As two rival governments in the lawless North African country edge toward a political settlement, some Libyan officials have said they could invite foreign peacekeepers to the country, albeit only to offer security training for sensitive sites, rather than combat.

Italy is keen to lead the mission, particularly if it heads off French ambitions in the country. To win over hearts and minds in Libya, the Italian Air Force flew a C-130J to Misrata in Libya on Jan. 11 to pick up 15 victims wounded by an ISIS truck bomb that killed at least 47 people the week before.

Speaking alongside Errico on Jan. 12, the heads of Italian firms Finmeccanica, Iveco, Beretta and Aero Sekur — all regular suppliers of the Army — voiced their support for spending plans able to sidestep the vagaries of Italian state budgets.

Errico’s 18-year ambition goes well beyond the plan for six-year budgets that may be implemented this year after they were proposed in 2015 in a new defense white paper, Italy’s first in 13 years.

Italy recently shifted from annual budgets to three-year budget plans to give certainty to funding, but the spending projections on which the budgets are based have too often been rendered meaningless by unforeseen cuts.

It is unclear how six- or even 18-year budgets could avoid the same fate.

Speaking at the conference, Nicola La Torre, the head of the Italian Senate’s defense commission, proposed going one step further. He said the Army should get multiyear funding for urgent programs in one go, just as the Navy received its €5.4 billion lump sum last year.

That could be wishful thinking. The so-called Naval Law was approved by parliament thanks to canny lobbying by the head of the Navy and by focusing politicians’ attention on the need to save thousands of migrants sailing across the Mediterranean from North Africa. Some 154,000 sailed last year, just as the Navy was due to retire a large part of its fleet.

An idea of how the Army would like to spend fresh funds will be given in a Strategic Defense Review, which is set to be published this year. Based on the white paper’s doctrinal vision of the future, which calls for Italian military predominance in the Mediterranean, the review is supposed to outline what assets will be required to carry out that doctrine.

One Italian source said the review was sitting in the in-tray of the Italian defense minister, awaiting a sign off.

The Army gave an early idea of what kit it wanted in February 2015, in its own strategy paper.

New vehicles were high on the list, and on Jan. 12 Errico called for the digitalization of communications in existing vehicles.

The document also calls for new helicopters and aircraft, both manned and unmanned. Army planners want a new version of the long-serving AW129 Mangusta attack helicopter that would be more net-centric and able to control UAVs, as well as able to operate better in hot and high conditions.

Meanwhile, the Army is downsizing from 103,000 to 90,000 personnel and from 11 to nine brigades.

“A so-called Army Law, to mirror the recent Naval Law, would be the best way to increase certainty that funds would arrive to back certain key programs over a fixed period of time,” said Francesco Tosato, the head of the military affairs desk at the Rome-based CESI think tank, which organized the Rome conference.

“The ‘stop and go’ funding that Italy has provided for the military until now hurts programs from an industrial and operational point of view,” he added.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/land/army/2016/01/16/italian-army-chief-urges-long-term-procurement-funding/78784210/

"Finmeccanica and the Italian Air Force celebrated today the entry into operational service of their first AgustaWestland AW101helicopter, designated the HH-101A “CAESAR”, during an official ceremony at Cervia Air Base. A total of four HH-101A “CAESAR” helicopters, out of a total requirement of 15, have been delivered from the Finmeccanica Helicopter Division’s assembly line in Yeovil(UK) to date, and will be used to perform personnel recovery and special forces missions. The HH-101As will also support search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation(MEDEVAC) and slow mover intercept operations, countering small aircraft threats, to provide effective support to the Italian community.

With the HH-101A “CAESAR” the Italian Air Force is introducing into service the most advanced and capable aircraft available today for this demanding operational requirement, developed and tailored to meet specific customer needs in the framework of its helicopter fleet modernisation programme. With the first HH-101A “CAESAR” now fully operational, the Italian Air Force is entering a new era, with a quantum leap forward in capabilities for both homeland operations and missions abroad in demanding conditions."







"On Feb. 25, the Italian Air Force took delivery of its first AgustaWestland (now a division of Finmeccanica Group) HH-101A “Caesar” medium-lift helicopter during an official ceremony held at Cervia airbase, Italy. The helicopter, a military variant of the AW.101, is one of four HH-101A helicopters, out of a total requirement of 15, delivered from the Finmeccanica Helicopter Division’s assembly line in Yeovil (UK) to date. It will be used to perform personnel recovery and special forces missions, SAR (Search And Rescue) and CSAR missions, as well as medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) tasks. Interestingly, the helicopter will also be used to counter small aerial threats undertaking the Slow Mover Intercept According to Finmeccanica, the HH-101A is able to accommodate up to five crew members plus twenty fully equipped troops or six crew members plus 8 troops for special operations, ensuring maximum mission flexibility.

It features three M134 7.62 mm pintle mounted Gatling-type machine guns installed on right and left sides and on the rear ramp provided by Finmeccanica Defence Systems Division, armoured cockpit seats, ballistic protection for machine gun operators as well as for critical systems and an Integrated Electronic Warfare System. The chopper is also equipped with some cutting-edge avionics, sensors and self-protection systems including radios, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), crypto, Link 16, intercommunications system, Gabbiano radar system, Laser Warning Receiver (LWR) and a Missile Launch Detection System (MILDS). By means of a kit the HH-101A can extend its operating range performing HAAR (Helicopter Air-to-Air Refueling) ops."

Sources:

http://theaviationist.com/?p=37294

http://defence-blog.com/news/first-italian-air-force-hh-101a-caesar-enters-service.html

Italy uses Red Flag to develop swing-role capability for Typhoon exports


The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) used the debut deployment of its Eurofighter Typhoons to the Red Flag exercise in the United States to develop and test the aircraft's swing-role capabilities in support of future international export campaigns, the detachment commander told reporters on 8 March.

Speaking at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada, Colonel Marco Bertoli said that, while the AMI was chiefly concerned with flying the eight Typhoons it had brought to Red Flag 16-02 in the air-to-air role, it took the opportunity also to roll-out the air-to-ground capabilities to help Finmeccanica promote the platform in those regions of the world for which it takes the lead as part of the wider Eurofighter consortium.

"We are developing [at Red Flag] a swing-role capability, which is mostly to support the Typhoon's export capabilities for other countries, [and have] actually dropped inert bombs during the exercise," the colonel said, adding; "Italy is the lead weapons integrator for the partner nations. We also have prime responsibility for promoting the export of the aircraft to particular regions [Kuwait, for example], and so we need to know ourselves what are the [swing-role] capabilities that we are promoting."

Of the eight Typhoons that the AMI flew to the multinational exercise that ran from 29 February to 11 March, five were Tranche 1 platforms and three were Tranche 2 platforms fitted with the P1E(B) software. It is these latter aircraft that have been involved in the swing-role tests. "We are looking at testing GBU-16 [Paveway II] and GBU-48 [Enhanced Paveway II precision-guided bombs], and developing the Storm Shadow [stand-off cruise missile] capability also, just in case. At Red Flag specifically we are developing the TTPs [tactics, techniques, and procedures], as well as checking the software and attack suites," Col Bertoli explained.

While the Typhoon does already have a proven air-to-ground capability with a number of its operators, chiefly the UK, its role within the AMI is currently strictly restricted to air-to-air only, and this will not change in the near-term despite the Red Flag trials, the colonel noted.

"In Italy was spotted prototype of «Centauro II» wheeled armoured fighting vehicle.

The «Centauro II» is the latest version. Its fitted with a 120mm smoothbore main gun. The «Centauro 2»vehicle features a new interior layout and based on Freccia 8×8 wheeled Infantry fighting vehicle. The turret is a HITFACT-2 with 120/45 mm cannon. The secondary armament is HITROLE Mod. L2R (remote controlled station) and a coaxial machine gun 7.62 mm. Optional can also install three types of weapons: machine gun Browning 12.7 mm MG-3 machine gun or MG-42/59 7.62 mm or a grenade launcher SACO MK19 40mm.



The Commander can control the turret and gun movements and can perform the target search and detection, irrespective of the turret traversing movements, through either the self stabilized Panoramic sight with Day TV camera and IR Camera including situational awareness and full hunter capability modules or the Turret on Turret (optional) which combines the Day and Night vision with the remote use of a 7.62mm machine gun.

The engine is a IVECO Vector 8V 714 hp (525 kW) with top road speed – 105+ km/h and Operational range – 800km."

Source: http://defence-blog.com/army/in-italy-spotted-prototype-of-centauro-ii-wheeled-armoured-fighting-vehicle.html

Italian Air Force Doubles M-346 Fleet to 18

The Italian Air Force ordered nine Finmeccanica Aermacchi M-346 jet trainers for €300 million, taking its total fleet to 18 aircraft.

The first of the new batch of trainers will be delivered this year and deliveries will be completed in 2018, Finmeccanica said in a March 22 statement.

The contract covers logistic support and “an additional development phase” in training related to digital training aids, simulators and infrastructure at the Italian Air Force’s Lecce base in southern Italy where the M-346s are based.

A total of 68 aircraft have now been ordered by Italy, Israel, Singapore and Poland.

“It has won all the most important international bids and we are offering it as the platform on which the new American Top Guns’ trainer aircraft could be based,” said Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti, referring to the US TX jet trainer bid.

Finmeccanica has said that the delay in the latest M-346 order from Italy was a reason behind a dip in its aeronautics orders last year.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/international/europe/2016/03/22/italian-air-force-doubles-m-346-fleet-18/82123474/

FINMECCANICA DEMONSTRATES AIR-TO-GROUND MODE 5 REVERSE-IFF CAPABILITY WITH ITALIAN TYPHOONS




Finmeccanica, with the Italian Defense General Staff, has demonstrated the successful integration of a Mode 5 Reverse-IFF (Identification Friend-Foe) system, providing air-to-ground IFF capabilities for a Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoon. The demonstration was witnessed by representatives from the NATO Battlefield Combat Identification Capability Team.

An IFF system provides pilots with the ability to distinguish between ‘friendly’ vehicles and potential threats by sending out an interrogation signal and verifying the responses from other aircraft.. A reverse-IFF system uses the same concept to interrogate ground forces, allowing a pilot to understand where surface-level friendly forces are located before deciding whether to use weaponry. The system is called ‘reverse’ IFF because the aircraft uses its transponder, usually used to reply to interrogations from other aircraft or from the ground, to scan the ground vehicles.

To demonstrate the solution, an Italian Air Force Typhoon simulated a Close Air Support mission over Pratica di Mare (Rome) air base in Italy, flying toward and interrogating a number of Italian Army Lince armoured vehicles with its reverse-IFF system. As the Lince vehicles returned ‘friendly’ signals, the Typhoon held off from providing air to ground support that might otherwise have caused collateral damage. to the friendly forces.

NATO is considering the Mode 5 Reverse-IFF system as one of the possible short-to-mid-term solutions for air-to-surface identification, to avoid friendly fire when cooperating with coalition forces. The integration solution developed by Finmeccanica has shown that it is possible to introduce such a significant capability in a simple, low-impact fashion using the aircraft’s existing transponder.

The integration activities were conducted at the Italian Reparto Sperimentale di Volo National Support Centre EF2000 (IT NSC) within the Experimental Flight Test Centre (Centro Sperimentale di Volo), located at the Pratica di Mare Air Force base near Rome. At the IT NSC, Air Force specialists worked alongside industry engineers, largely from Finmeccanica, to integrate and demonstrate the solution.

The demonstration with the Italian Air Force highlights Finmeccanica’s leading role in IFF technology. The latest Mode-5 standard was conceived in the late 90s and developed in the 00s by Italian industry before being adopted by NATO as the new standard for military platforms which will be mandatory across NATO members from around 2020.

Not directly refereing to Italy, but rather their defence-electronic industry:

New AESA radar, developed by Finmeccanica/Leonardo, AESAa radar is called Osprey. For now it seems its mainly used on SAR aircraft:

Rumors spreading that Italy might be interested in obtaining Leopard 2 as a replacement for their Ariete tanks... Which does not make much sense as Arietes are basically new, last one was built in 2003.

"The Piaggio Aerospace P.1HH HammerHead is a new, state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) crash in Mediterranean sea.

The drone lost contact with the ground station during a test flight and crashed into the sea during the late morning of 31 May 2016, 20 minutes into the flight. The prototype Piaggio Aerospace P.1HH HammerHead Unmanned Aerial System was operating from Vincenzo Florio Airport, Trapani, Sicily. The P.1HH HammerHead is a full-sized, medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) developed by Piaggio Aero Industries. The HammerHead UAS was derived from the P.180 Avanti II commercial aircraft.

The P.1HH HammerHead is designed to comply with STANAG USAR 4671 standards. The UAS integrates a large fuselage housing several combinations of payloads.



The aircraft is designed with three lifting surfaces configuration (3 LSC) and high aspect ratio laminar wings, along with increased wing span, to make it more flexible and carry greater weight. The UAS has a span of 15.6m, length of 14.4m and overall height of 3.98m. The maximum take-off weight of the UAS is 6,146kg."

Source: http://defence-blog.com/news/prototype-of-piaggio-p-1hh-hammerhead-uav-crash-in-mediterranean-sea.html

Italy Weighs Its Options on Missile Defense

With the release of final funding this year, Italy is due to achieve a minimum capability with its MEADS antimissile system, capping a long and sometimes fraught development program.

Following the release of €3.1 million ($3.5 million) in its 2016 defense budget, the Italian defense ministry said it would wrap up development of the system this year, having spent a total of €595 million, or $672 million.

“This is the last money to be spent,” an Italian defense source said.

However, speculation is mounting as to whether Italy will provide additional money to press on with the program and keep in step with fellow partner Germany, which has opted to order the system.

“The Air Force is currently weighing their needs against a currently constrained procurement budget,” said Gregory Kee, MEADS director of international business development at prime contractor Lockheed Martin. “It is just a question of when Italy is able to rejoin the program,” he said.

Italy originally took a 17 percent share in the program with MEADS partners Germany and the US, only to see the US pull out. Poland then mulled adopting the system before opting for Raytheon’s Patriot, before Germany agreed to acquire the MEADS system instead of Patriot in 2015.

At the Berlin Air Show in Germany this month, Lockheed and Martin and MBDA – the industrial partners on the program -- said they hoped to finish talks for the $4.5 billion deal with Germany by year’s end.

Germany has set tough milestones for the program and Raytheon has said it remains in talks to sell Patriot to Berlin should MEADS fail to live up to its billing.

In Italy, with the last round of funding this year, the country has reached what is known as “minimum engagement capability”, meaning it will own one launcher, one radar and one command-and-control shelter.

Speaking at the Berlin show this month, MBDA Germany CEO Thomas Homberg said he was confident Italy would push on with the MEADS program.

An Italian defense source said Italy already has a role in the German program. “Italy is a design authority on the missile and the engagement chain of the system in use by the Germans,” the source said.

The Italians “want to build on their investment in the system,” said Lockheed’s Kee. “Consultations are taking place between Germany and Italy at the government level – Italy is extremely interested in a further collaboration in the context of continuing the cooperation and would like to contribute its own MEADS-based program,” he said.

Germany has chosen to integrate its own Iris-T missile into the MEADS system as well as the PAC-3 missile, but Kee said, “It is premature to speculate on what secondary missile Italy might procure.”

The Italian source said Italy “may possibly consider a second missile, but it would unlikely be the Iris-T.”

As Italy ponders the future evolution of its embryonic MEADS capability, the battle in Europe between MEADS and Patriot has continued.

After opting for Patriot in 2015, Poland elected a new government which said in February it was back in talks with Lockheed Martin about MEADS as part of a process of reviewing all procurement decisions made by the previous administration.

Last November, Holland said it would upgrade its existing Patriot setup instead of buying a new system like MEADS.

Earlier this year Turkey was reportedly considering MEADS after deciding not to buy an antimissile defense system from China.

As Italy’s central defense procurement office juggles funds to see if it can proceed with the procurement of more MEADS batteries, it will itself undergo an upheaval following a decision to move it out of offices in the center of Rome to an air base on the city’s outskirts.

Following the publication of Italy’s new white paper on defense, which called for a unification under one roof of Italy’s procurement offices, the central office will be joined at the Centocelle base by the individual procurement offices of the Army, Navy and Air Force, which have hitherto been housed at the headquarters of their respective services.

The massing of procurement officials at Centocelle, which is home to Italy’s joint operational command, is part of a bid by defense minister Roberto Pinotti to create synergies between the armed forces which have long been jealous of their own autonomy.