On May 14, 2024, as reported by Gareth Jennings, Aviation Desk Editor at Jane’s, a spokesperson from BAE Systems confirmed previous speculations about the Italian Air Force’s potential expansion of its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. Italy is considering the acquisition of more core aircraft, possibly adding 24 additional Typhoon multirole fighters. However, concrete details are yet to emerge, pending the official parliamentary process scheduled for the summer.
Despite inquiries from Gareth Jennings, both the Italian Air Force and Leonardo Aircraft have refrained from providing confirmation or further information. Notably, if Italy proceeds with the purchase, it would align with Germany’s Quadriga and Spain’s Halcon programs, leaving the UK as the only consortium partner without an additional order. BAE spokespersons have also hinted at potential measures to maintain the UK’s standing within the Eurofighter consortium, as other member nations pursue fleet expansions. One consideration is extending the service life of the existing fleet to ensure parity with partner nations.
Over the past 20 years, the Italian Air Force, which currently operates 94 Eurofighter Typhoons, has achieved more than 80,000 flight hours with this type of aircraft. The multirole fighter now equips six squadrons (9°, 10°, 12°, 18°, 20°, and 132° Gruppo) located at four bases: Grosseto, Gioia del Colle, Trapani, and Istrana. The Typhoons provide round-the-clock Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) service both domestically and internationally and are regularly deployed to carry out a variety of roles, including missions exceeding 8 hours in support of the anti-Daesh coalition in Iraq and Syria.