The Italian F-35s deployed for the primary time to Landivisiau Naval Air Base, integrating fifth gen plane within the coaching of the French Navy’s Rafales.
The French Navy’s (Marine Nationale) Landivisiau Naval Air Base hosted for the primary time the Italian F-35Bs, in addition to AV-8B+ Harrier IIs, from Jul. 3 to 11, 2025. The deployment noticed the Italian fifth gen plane coaching with the French Rafale Ms.
A complete of six F-35Bs and 4 AV-8B+ Harrier IIs visited France. Two F-35Bs had been from the Italian Air Pressure’s (Aeronautica Militare) 101° Gruppo (a hundred and first Squadron), which the service not too long ago reactivated on Jul. 1, 2025.
The remaining plane had been from the Italian Navy’s (Marina Militare) Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati (Embarked Plane Squadron) “Wolves.” The unit at the moment operates each the Harrier and the F-35B Lightning II, and in future it would totally transition to the F-35B.
You will need to notice that the French Rafale Ms already skilled with the Italian F-35Bs and AV-8Bs earlier than. Actually, in Could 2024, 4 Rafales visited Grottaglie Naval Air Station in southern Italy, the house of the “Wolves,” through the remaining part of the Mare Aperto 24-1/Polaris 24 train, a part of the bigger Neptune Strike.
Durante la Neptune Strike, 4 velivoli Dassault Rafale della @MarineNationale si sono rischierati presso la Stazione Aeromobili di Grottaglie, per addestrarsi insieme ai Lupi del Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati per prepararsi alla fase finale della #MareAperto 24-1/Polaris 24. pic.twitter.com/15JmWimPeG
— Marina Militare (@ItalianNavy) Could 8, 2024
Landivisiau Naval Air Base (or BAN Landivisiau), in northwestern France, hosts the Marine Nationale’s Flotilla 12F, which is assigned the Rafale Ms working from the FNS Charles De Gaulle plane provider. The deployment of the Italian F-35s there may be a part of a long-running French effort to raised put together to function along with fifth technology fighters flown by allied and NATO nations.
It is usually price noting that the French Navy’s Rafale Ms have already flown with F-35s up to now, the latest occasion being throughout Train Pacific Steller in February 2025. On that event, F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornets and Rafale Ms performed cross-deck operations on the FNS Charles De Gaulle and the USS Carl C. Vinson, in addition to joint operations with E/A-18G Growlers and F-35C Lightning IIs.
The train
A video launched by the Marine Nationale supplied a glimpse into the actions, with the Italian and French crews planning after which flying collectively. Neither of the companies have specified the character of the coaching missions included within the train.
#CoopérationMilitaire | Unis dans les cieux : « Landivisiau fa la storia! » 🛩️🇫🇷🇮🇹La base d’aéronautique navale accueille pour la première fois les chasseurs F35 B italiens. pic.twitter.com/tMW7n48Px9
— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) July 11, 2025
The drills might have concerned comparatively easy maneuvers like Fundamental Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) and training established communication protocols to assist interoperability. The posts by each companies additionally trace at extra complicated eventualities based mostly on 4th and fifth gen plane cooperation.
The precise nature of the most recent drills counsel a focused effort to develop operational ways within the occasion France has to conduct operations with allies. This may very well be both within the European or the Pacific theater, the place each Rome and Paris have deployed their forces within the current previous.
Actually, the French Naval Aviation (Aeronautique Navale) listed three goals of the Franco-Italian train in its Instagram publish: “Strengthen the interoperability between allied forces; Put together tomorrow’s plane operations; Prepare to fashionable excessive depth eventualities.”
The service then added that the important thing objective of the train was to allow the French Embarqué Air Group “to arrange to function with fifth technology plane utilized by Italy and different NATO nations.” Additional confirming this, the publish added that “Cooperation, sharing expertise and operational effectivity [are] on the coronary heart of this Franco-Italian initiative.”
‘Interoperability, integration and making ready for future conflicts’
In a Fb publish, the Marine Nationale stated that “this occasion marks a turning level in our cooperation with NATO Allied Forces, integrating fifth Technology plane into our coaching.”
Equally, the Italian Navy’s Instagram publish described the train as an intense week after which the cooperation and integration of the three companies concerned is stronger. “Collectively we’re stronger. Prepared and skilled for future eventualities,” stated the service.
Additional demonstrating the expanded protection and strategic cooperation between Italy and France, the Marine Nationale additionally introduced that an Italian Navy SH-90 helicopter (Italian designation for the naval variant of the NH-90 helicopter, which France calls the NH90 Caïman) took half within the flypast through the Bastille Day Parade in Paris, accompanying French helicopters.
The picture launched by the service confirmed an Italian SH-90 flying near the FNS Charles De Gaulle plane provider throughout a earlier deployment. The Marine Nationale stated “Italy and France are companions in maritime method surveillance missions, rescue operations, or interceptions at sea in addition to within the air,” describing the muse for the rotary wing platforms’ participation.
🇮🇹 | ITALIE
Un Caïman 🇮🇹 accompagnera nos hélicoptères de la Marine nationale.
➡️ L’Italie et la France sont partenaires dans les missions de surveillance des approches maritimes, le sauvetage ou l’interception en mer comme dans les airs. pic.twitter.com/7ntgPLSlfN
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) July 13, 2025
The SH-90 wasn’t the one Italian asset within the parade, as an Italian Air Pressure F-2000A Hurricane of the 51st Wing was additionally current, flying in a formation along with French, British, German, Spanish and Swiss fighters.
Italian Navy F-35Bs and AV-8B+ Harriers
Grottaglie Naval Air Station, in southern Italy, hosts the Italian Navy’s Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati (Embarked Plane Squadron) “Wolves,” which is assigned the fighter jets operated on the ITS Cavour plane provider. The squadron operates each the Harrier and the F-35B Lightning II, with the plan of totally transitioning to the latter in future.
The ItAF operates each the CTOL (Typical Take-Off and Touchdown) F-35As and the STOVL (Brief Take-Off Vertical Touchdown) F-35Bs. The latter additionally function off the ITS Cavour plane provider along with the Navy.
As touched upon in earlier studies by The Aviationist, equally to the Royal Air Pressure (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN), the 2 Italian companies collectively practice, function and preserve their F-35B fleets. The Navy’s F-35Bs have additionally been based mostly with the Air Pressure’s F-35s at Amendola Air Base, residence of the ItAF’s 32° Stormo (Wing), and the CSAS (Centro Supporto Addestramento e Standardizzazione).
This permits for extra environment friendly logistics and upkeep till the Navy has sufficient plane to maneuver again to Grottaglie. On the identical time, this permits to synergize TTPs (Techniques, Methods and Procedures) as each companies usually practice collectively, function their F-35Bs from austere places and embark on the ITS Cavour.
Moreover, all Italian F-35B pilots are being skilled at Amendola, after attending the bottom faculty at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. After buying the Restricted Fight Prepared qualification, pilots then proceed to coach for the total fight readiness with their assigned squadrons.
Previously, there have been disagreements whether or not the Italian F-35B ought to all go to the Navy or be shared with the Air Pressure, and in addition if they need to all be based mostly on the identical airfield. Nevertheless, the Italians now intention at a “joint functionality” with the Italian Air Pressure and Navy working their very own plane in their very own models. Nonetheless, when wanted, the F-35Bs of each companies will combine and function underneath a single chain of command from land-bases or from an plane provider or touchdown helicopter dock.
The Navy at the moment operates six F-35Bs whereas the Air Pressure at the moment operates two, with every service deliberate to obtain 15 airframes. In 2024, as a part of the brand new multi-year protection planning, Italy introduced a rise of the F-35 order, with 15 new F-35As for the Air Pressure and 5 F-35Bs for the Navy.
