Talking earlier than Parliament after the controversy sparked by the denied touchdown of a U.S. plane at Sigonella, Protection Minister Guido Crosetto mentioned Italy continues to use long-standing agreements governing U.S. navy exercise.
On Mar. 31, 2026, the information unfold that Italy had refused to permit the U.S. to make use of Sigonella Air Base, Sicily, a strategic hub and ahead working base to many U.S belongings. The information was first revealed by Corriere della Sera and later by different information retailers together with La Repubblica. The Authorities sources later confirmed the episode, saying it occurred in a single day on Mar. 27, 2026.
The refusal is alleged to have been ordered by Protection Minister Guido Crosetto after Italian authorities realized that a number of U.S. plane (in some instances known as “bombers”) have been planning to land at Sigonella earlier than heading on to the Center East to assist Operation Epic Fury.
The difficulty was that no prior clearance had been requested and Italian navy authorities had not been consulted. ANSA information company reported that Italy was knowledgeable solely after the plane have been already within the air, and checks later decided the flights have been neither routine nor logistical, in order that they weren’t lined by current agreements between Rome and Washington. Because of this clearance ought to have been granted solely upon Parliamentary approval.
In a while the identical day, Crosetto mentioned:
Somebody is making an attempt to push the narrative that Italy has determined to droop using its bases by U.S. belongings.
That’s merely false, as a result of the bases are energetic, in use, and nothing has modified.
The Authorities continues to do what all Italian governments have all the time finished, in full compliance with the commitments made in Parliament and with the road reiterated within the Supreme Protection Council, in continuity with all earlier Councils over the a long time.
Worldwide agreements clearly regulate and distinguish between what requires particular authorization from the Authorities, for which it has been determined that Parliament ought to all the time be concerned, and with out which nothing might be granted, and what’s as a substitute thought of technically approved as a result of it falls throughout the scope of these agreements.
A minister’s solely responsibility is to make sure that these guidelines are revered.
There is no such thing as a third choice.
Lastly, I wish to reiterate that there is no such thing as a cooling of relations or stress with the US, as a result of they know the foundations governing their presence in Italy since 1954 simply in addition to we do.
The kind of plane whose touchdown in Italy was denied has by no means been disclosed, and this has contributed to the confusion, with some hypothesis pointing to belongings that had deployed to the Center East days earlier than the “diplomatic incident” came about, and different claims allegedly involving flights whose particulars didn’t match the official date confirmed by the Italian MOD.
Anyway, the episode sparked appreciable home controversy, which Crosetto needed to deal with throughout a briefing earlier than Italy’s decrease home, the Chamber of Deputies, on Apr. 7, 2026. Throughout the listening to, the Italian MOD supplied some particulars concerning the coverage regulating using Italian air bases by U.S. plane, in addition to some attention-grabbing figures.
Initially, the Italian authorities has not modified its coverage on using U.S. navy bases in Italy, and no administration has finished so over the previous 75 years, Crosetto defined, who additionally mentioned the choice to disclaim the touchdown clearance to the U.S. belongings didn’t mark a political shift, however mirrored the continued software of the authorized and treaty framework governing the U.S. navy presence in Italy.
“No authorities of any political shade has ever didn’t honor or questioned the worldwide and bilateral treaties between Italy and the US” he mentioned.
Crosetto additionally defined that Italy will not be an exception in Europe, since international locations such because the Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland and the UK have related bilateral preparations that permit using U.S. navy services on their territory. In his view, compliance with these agreements doesn’t routinely suggest involvement in conflicts, however merely respect for obligations throughout the limits set by Italian legislation and the Structure.
“Rispettare gli accordi sulle basi Usa in Italia non significa essere coinvolti in una guerra, ma adempiere con responsabilità a impegni previsti dalla legge. L’Italia non è in guerra, ma è parte della NATO e agisce nel pieno rispetto della Costituzione e dei trattati… pic.twitter.com/Q2dqmvP71B
— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) April 7, 2026
Curiously, to assist his argument, Crosetto cited statistics regarding U.S. navy exercise at Aviano AB, in northeastern Italy, and Sigonella, in southern Italy, he obtained by the Italian navy in response to the query whether or not the exercise had elevated on the two bases. The statistics, in keeping with the Italian MOD show that the present Meloni authorities has not altered the long-standing framework regulating entry to American bases in Italy.
Naval Air Station Sigonella, because the U.S. part of the bottom is named, hosts rotational detachments of P-8 Poseidons and MQ-4Cs from Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19 “Massive Crimson,” together with many different manned and unmanned plane that recurrently deploy to the bottom or cease there in the midst of the Mediterranean. The bottom has served as a ahead working areas for missions flown in Northern Africa in addition to the Black Sea area. Aviano Air Base is residence to the thirty first Fighter Wing, together with the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons, which fly the F-16 Combating Falcon, in addition to the 56th Rescue Squadron, which operates the HH-60W Jolly Inexperienced II.
At Aviano, in 2018 there have been 525 cargo plane landings, together with 43 categorised as “sizzling cargo,” that means flights carrying delicate cargo or munitions, in addition to 120 U.S. transits of tactical plane and 35 helicopter transits. In 2019, the variety of landings rose to 628, together with 52 sizzling cargo flights, together with 44 fighter plane in transit and 107 helicopter actions. In 2020, Aviano recorded 528 landings, 51 sizzling cargo flights, 28 plane in transit and 32 helicopter actions. In 2021, Crosetto cited 505 landings, 43 sizzling cargo flights, 59 fighter transits and 24 helicopters. In 2022, the whole rose once more to 609 landings, together with 62 sizzling cargo flights and 172 transits. It’s not clear why he didn’t proceed with the info about 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Sigonella airbase noticed considerably increased U.S. site visitors. In accordance with the figures cited by Crosetto, the bottom recorded 2,547 landings and transits in 2019, together with 271 sizzling cargo actions, in addition to 18 plane, 28 helicopters and 898 remotely piloted plane flights. In 2020, the whole stood at 2,081 landings, with 178 sizzling cargo instances and 755 UAS (Unmanned Plane System) flights. In 2021, the figures have been 1,954 landings, 195 sizzling cargo actions and 805 UAS flights. In 2022, exercise rose sharply once more, with 2,919 landings, 273 sizzling cargo instances, 15 plane, 177 helicopter actions and 1,293 remotely piloted plane flights. Crosetto additionally cited newer drone exercise figures for Sigonella, with 246 UAS flights in 2023, 466 in 2024 and 338 in 2025.
Maybe probably the most clear development within the dataset is Sigonella’s UAS exercise: after remaining very excessive between 2019 and 2022 and peaking sharply in 2022, it dropped dramatically in 2023, recovered solely partially in 2024, and declined once more in 2025. In contrast with 2019, 2025 drones exercise is down 62.4%.
The figures have been introduced to point out that the Italian authorities doesn’t politically redefine the tempo of operations at these bases, however slightly verifies whether or not such actions fall throughout the authorized and treaty framework already in place.
“We are saying sure when they’re doable and no when they aren’t,” he defined, additionally rejecting the concept the federal government may declare credit score for any discount in exercise (that was in all probability as a result of relocation of some belongings to different bases within the area).
Italy, he mentioned, will proceed to behave throughout the framework of its Structure and legal guidelines, honoring the worldwide agreements it has signed whereas persevering with to respect Parliament and state establishments.
That being mentioned, it’s also value noting that P-8A Poseidon and MQ-4C Triton plane primarily based at Sigonella recurrently function within the Persian Gulf space, as extensively reported by the ItaMilRadar account on X.
Double strategic US Navy motion this morning: each a P-8A patrol plane and an MQ-4C Triton drone took off from Sigonella heading east. The P-8A is on a switch flight to the Center East, whereas the Triton operated over the Persian Gulf.
— itamilradar (@ItaMilRadar) March 14, 2026
Because the world questions whether or not President Trump will truly observe by on his threats, right this moment a Triton departing from Sigonella orbited for an prolonged interval off the strategic Khark Island.
— itamilradar (@ItaMilRadar) April 7, 2026
