List of active Italian military aircraft

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, Guardia di Finanza, Italian Coast Guard, and Carabinieri.

Air Force

Main article: Italian Air Force
Coat of arms of the Italian Air Force

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
F-35 Lightning II USA
Italy 		Multirole F-35A
F-35B 		35[1]
5[1] 		75 ordered (2026-2040)[2]
20 ordered[2]
Eurofighter UK
Germany
Italy
Spain 		Multirole
Operational conversion 		F-2000A
TF-2000A
Tranche 4 		79[3]
14[3]
0 		Currently 93 Typhoons are in service. 24 new Typhoons Tranche 4 have been ordered in 2024, which will replace 27 Typhoons of Tranche 1.
Tornado UK
Germany
Italy 		Multirole
Electronic warfare
Operational conversion 		IDS
ECR
IDS 		28[3]
13[3]
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).
AEW&C
G550 CAEW United States / Israel Airborne early warning and control E-550A 3[3] 3 on order (September 2024)[4]
Electronic warfare
C-27J Spartan Italy Electronic warfare EC-27 Jedi 3[3]
P-180 Italy Radio and radar calibration P-180 EVO+ 4
EA-37B Compass Call United States Electronic Attack EA-37B 0 2 ordered July 2025 (+ 1 option)[5]
Reconnaissance
Super King Air United States SIGINT 350 2[3]
Maritime patrol
ATR 72 Italy ASW / patrol P-72AS 4[3] Mission crews are provided by the Italian Navy
Tanker
KC-767 United States Aerial refueling 4[3] 6 on order
KC-130J United States Aerial refueling KC-130J 5 Originally 6, but aircraft MM62176 crashed on 23 November 2009[6]
Transport
C-130J Super Hercules United States Tactical airlift C-130J & C-130J-30 16 6 C-130J & 10 C-130J-30
C-27J Spartan Italy Transport 7[3]
Airbus A340 European Union VIP A340-500 1[7] I-TALY: unused since 2018, parked and abandoned at Rome Fiumicino Airport, disputed ownership between Etihad Airways and the Air Force
Airbus A319 European Union VIP A319CJ 3[8]
Dassault Falcon 900 France VIP 3[9]
Dassault Falcon 50 France VIP 2[10]
P-180 Italy VIP P-180A Avanti 6 will be upgraded to P-180 EVO+
Helicopters
AW101 Italy / United Kingdom Utility / CSAR 12[3]
AW139 Italy Utility / SAR 34[3]
MD 500 Italy Rotorcraft trainer NH-500M 38[3] licensed built by Breda Nardi
Trainer aircraft
M-346 Master Italy Advanced trainer T-346A 21[3] 20 more on order[11]
Alenia M-345 Italy Advanced trainer T-345A 12[11] 18 on order[11]
Aermacchi MB-339 Italy Jet trainer 48[3]
P-180 Italy Multi-engine trainer P-180 EVO+ 5[12]
SF.260 Italy Basic trainer 29[3]
S-208 Italy Basic trainer 18
UAV
MQ-9A Predator B United States Surveillance 5[13] 1× lost in an accident in 2019

Italian Army Aviation

Main article: Italian Army
coat of arms of the Italian Army established in 2014.

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
P-180 Italy Transport P-180A Avanti 3[14]
Dornier 228 Germany Transport 3[14] STOL capable aircraft
Helicopters
AW249 Fenice Italy Attack helicopter 48 on order[15]
A129 Mangusta Italy Attack helicopter 32 A129D
16 A129C[14] 		11 A129C retired; to be replaced by AW249 Fenice
NH90 European Union Utility / transport UH-90A 60[16]
CH-47 Chinook United States Transport CH-47F 16
AW169 Italy Trainer
Utility 		UH-169B
UH-169D 		2
1 		25 ordered; 50 planned in total
AB-205 Italy Utility AB-205
AB-212
AB-412 		55
9
21 		Licensed built by Agusta, to be replaced by UH-169D
AB-206 Italy Utility 30 Licensed built by Agusta, to be replaced by UH-169D
UAV
RQ-7 Shadow United States Surveillance 16 4 TUAS ordered in 2010[17]

Italian Naval Aviation

Main article: Italian Navy
Heraldic Coat of Arms of the Navy: The coat of arms of the Navy is composed of a shield divided into four quarters, each of which is occupied by the blazon

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
F-35 Lightning II United States Multirole F-35B 10[1] 20 on order[1]
AV-8B Harrier II United States Ground attack
Trainer 		AV-8B+
TAV-8B 		14[14]
1 		V/STOL capable aircraft
Transport
P-180 Italy Transport P-180A Avanti 3[14]
Helicopters
AW101 Italy / United Kingdom VERTREP / SAR 17[14]
NH90 European Union ASW / Transport NFH / TTH 56
AB-212 Italy ASW / utility 33[14] licensed built by Agusta
UAV
Camcopter S-100 Austria Surveillance 2[18][19]
ScanEagle United States Surveillance 10[20]

Guardia di Finanza

Main article: Guardia di Finanza
Coat of arms updated following the awarding of another Gold Medal for Civil Valor to the War Flag of the Corps

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Maritime patrol
ATR 42 Italy
France 		Maritime surveillance ATR-42-400MP 4
ATR 72 Italy ASW / Maritime patrol aircraft P-72B 4
Transport
P-180 Italy Transport P-180 Avanti II 2
Helicopters
AW169 Italy Utility / Transport AW-169M 24 6 with fixed landing gear and 18 with skids
AW139 Italy Utility / Transport 20
AW109 Italy Utility / Transport AW-109N 4
NH-500 United States Trainer NH-500MC
NH-500MD 		6

Carabinieri

Main article: Carabinieri
Coat of Arms of the Italian Armed Forces

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft[21] Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Fixed-wing
P-180 Italy Transport P-180 Avanti II 2
Helicopters
AB-412 Italy Search and Rescue / Utility AB-412
AB-412HP
AB-412SP 		9
12
9 		License built by Agusta
AW109 Italy Utility / Patrol A109A/A-II
A109E Power
A109N Nexus 		26
3
17
AW119 Koala Italy Utility / Patrol AW-119Kx 20
AW139 Italy Utility / Patrol UH-139D 3
AW169 Italy Utility / Patrol AW169M 6
NH-500 United States Trainer NH 500D 10

Italian Coast Guard

Main article: Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard
Stemma della componente aerea del Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto - Guardia Costiera

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In

service

Notes
Maritime patrol
ATR 42 Italy
France 		Maritime surveillance ATR-42MP-420
ATR-42MP-500
ATR-42MP-600 		1
2
1
P-180 Italy Maritime surveillance P-180 Avanti II 1
Helicopters
AB412 Italy Search and Rescue AB-412HP Koala 5
AW139 Italy Search and Rescue PH-139 Nemo 15

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Future Base, Expected FOC And More About The Italian F-35 Fleet". The Aviationist. 29 March 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Giansiracusa, Aurelio. "Ulteriori venticinque F-35 per Aeronautica e Marina Militare". Ares Difesa. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "2024 World Air Forces directory". FlightGlobal.
  4. ^ Peruzzi, Luca (2024-09-06). "Italy enlarges and enforces its fleet of special mission aircraft". EDR Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  5. ^ D'Urso, Stefano. "Italy Signs Contract to Acquire EA-37B Compass Call". The Aviationist. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Precipita aereo militare a Pisa: 5 morti". Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  7. ^ "This Airbus A340-500 is Italy's new Air Force One". The Aviationist. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Airbus A319CJ". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  9. ^ "FALCON 900EX". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  10. ^ "FALCON 50". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  11. ^ a b c Air Forces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. June 2025. p. 10.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  12. ^ Tenente Colonnello Giuseppe Traina. "Scuola Addestramento Trasporti Aerei: al via i corsi con il nuovo velivolo P-180 EVO+ per i piloti delle linee Combat Support". Italian Air Force. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  13. ^ "MQ-9A PREDATOR B". Ministero della Difesa. Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "World Air Forces 2021". Flightglobal Insight. 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Italy Invests in Leonardo AW249 Attack Helicopters to Enhance Air Support and Reconnaissance". Army Recognition. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  16. ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. February 2023. p. 10.
  17. ^ "AAI to Provide Shadow Unmanned Aircraft to Italian Army". 21 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Messaggio Forum". Regiamarinaitaliana.forumgratis.org. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Insitu: contract with the Italian Navy for ScanEagle UAS aircraft delivery". Avionews.it. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  21. ^ "Servizio Aereo Carabinieri". aviazione-italiana.it. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
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