The 2025–2027 Protection Planning Doc confirms Italy’s bold modernization, introducing new acquisitions whereas consolidating main packages.
The Italian Ministry of Protection has launched the 2025–2027 Documento Programmatico Pluriennale (DPP), the annual multi-year planning doc that outlines nationwide protection investments and modernization priorities. The brand new version particulars how Italy intends to reinforce readiness, improve current fleets, and spend money on future applied sciences throughout all branches of the Armed Forces, reaching the NATO goal of two% of the GDP.
The DPP builds on the momentum of current years, reaffirming long-term packages such because the World Fight Air Programme (GCAP), Eurofighter Hurricane, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the renovation of the armored forces, whereas introducing new initiatives.
Amongst these is the acquisition of six unspecified Maritime Multi Mission Plane (M3A). This can be a essential step towards restoring Italy’s long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW) functionality misplaced with the retirement of the Breguet Atlantic in 2017 and the substitute with the P-72.
Moreover, new investments are being made for unmanned platforms. Notably, one among these packages includes the procurement of recent armed drones for the Italian Air Pressure within the very brief time period.
Strategic and Geopolitical Context
As in earlier editions, the DPP frames its protection planning inside the idea of the “Prolonged Mediterranean” area, encompassing Europe’s southern flank, North Africa, the Sahel, and the Center East. This space continues to be described because the epicenter of instability, influenced by the occasions in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Purple Sea, with potential spillover results on European and world safety.
The doc emphasizes that the struggle in Ukraine stays a turning level for European protection coverage, reaffirming the necessity for readiness, ammunition shares, and deterrence capabilities. The Center East, with Iran’s rising involvement and assaults on maritime routes by Houthi forces, is cited as a direct problem to world stability and vitality safety.
The MoD additionally factors to the rising relevance of the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic, which is reshaping the Euro-Atlantic safety structure. That is additionally increasing Italy’s strategic horizon, thus requiring new maritime and air capabilities for long-range surveillance and deterrence.
For Italy, the “Expanded Mediterranean” nonetheless stays a strategic precedence, along with the must be able to function throughout a number of domains — land, sea, air, area, and cyber.
Evolution of the Italian Army
The second part of the DPP particulars the transformation of the Italian Armed Forces to reply to the present strategic and geopolitical context and guarantee readiness, technological superiority, and interoperability inside allied frameworks. The overarching aim is a contemporary, balanced, and sustainable power construction, able to responding to each high-intensity conflicts and hybrid threats.
Among the many key functionality growth areas are:
Joint/Interforce area: Strengthening command, management, communications, and cyber protection (C2/C4ISR); creating multi-domain operational capabilities.
Land area: Renewal of heavy, medium, and lightweight fight autos; expanded use of drones in any respect echelons; modernization of artillery, logistics, and air-defense techniques.
Naval area: Modernization of front-line models and submarines, enhancement of anti-submarine and anti-drone warfare capabilities, and integration of unmanned maritime techniques.
Aerospace area: Renewal of plane fleets (together with fight, transport, and rotorcraft); growth of sixth-generation plane underneath the World Fight Air Programme (GCAP); reinforcement of missile protection and space-based surveillance.
Area and cyber domains: Enlargement of Earth remark and safe communication satellite tv for pc constellations; unbiased entry to area; improved cyber resilience throughout protection networks.
Weapons and munitions: Replenishment of nationwide stockpiles, reflecting classes from the Ukraine battle.
Let’s now dissect the plans for every service.
Military Applications
The Italian Military continues the modernization course of initiated lately, specializing in mobility, safety, and deep-strike capabilities. Among the many primary initiatives are the brand new Foremost Battle Tank and Military Armoured Fight System (A2CS), whose growth continues with new €2 billion funding for a brand new technology of tanks and autos to exchange growing old platforms, integrating multi-domain connectivity.
Artillery and long-range fires are additionally being checked out, as Italy is progressing with the acquisition of 21 M142 HIMARS launchers and the improve of the M270 MLRS to the A2 customary. These can be complemented by new 155 mm techniques and loitering munitions for stand-off precision strike.
Air defenses will see an enlargement of short- and medium-range techniques, together with further Grifo SHORAD (brief vary air protection) models outfitted with CAMM-ER (Frequent Antiair Modular Missile – Prolonged Vary) and 6 new SAMP/T New Technology (NG) batteries.
The Military plans to amass micro, mini, and lightweight drones for ISR and assist missions, together with each fixed- and rotary-wing techniques with excessive endurance and brief, medium and lengthy vary. That is a part of the bigger plan to equip all echelons with unmanned belongings to extend capabilities additionally in contested situations.
For the Military Aviation, the DPP consists of continued assist for NH-90, CH-47, and AH-129 fleets, alongside the continued growth of the AH-249A NEES (New Exploration and Escort Helicopter). With the most recent planning, Italy’s next-generation assault and reconnaissance helicopter obtained an extra € 1.35 billion funding.
Navy Applications
The Italian Navy will even see notable developments, notably in its aviation and floor combatant elements. Some of the vital new entries within the DPP is the acquisition of six Maritime Multi Mission Plane (M3A), a joint program between the Air Pressure and Navy that can restore Italy’s long-range Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) functionality.
This functionality was misplaced with the retirement of the Breguet Atlantic in 2017. The brand new platform will complement the prevailing P-72A fleet, extending Italy’s maritime patrol protection and offering a higher-end functionality for undersea warfare and surveillance. Experiences point out the Kawasaki P-1 is a favourite candidate.
For the floor fleet, development continues on two new technology FREMM EVO frigates, new patrol and mine-countermeasure vessels, and logistics platforms. These will substitute older vessels, together with some which were offered, and strengthen blue-water capabilities.
As talked about in final yr’s DPP, the Navy will obtain 5 further F-35B jets for the naval aviation as a part of the brand new 25-aircraft order. It will carry the service’s fleet to twenty STOVL plane, which can be operated from the ITS Cavour service and ITS Trieste LHD.
As for the ITS Trieste, the doc confirms funding for the ultimate integration works to allow full F-35B operations from the LHD. The aim is to create an alternate service functionality when Cavour is unavailable.
Air Pressure Applications
The Italian Air Pressure maintains the central function within the nationwide modernization technique, with a broad vary of packages confirmed or expanded.
The acquisition of the Gulfstream G550-based CAEW, JAMMS, and EA variants continues, offering a full Airborne Early Warning and Digital Warfare suite with the P-MMMS (Piattaforma Multi-Missione, Multi- Sensore/Multi-Mission, Multi-Sensor Platform). As a part of this program, Italy is procuring the EA-37B Compass Name and renewing the lease of the Spydr SIGINT plane till the brand new techniques enter service.
Unmanned aerial techniques are one other large focus. The Air Pressure is continuing with the MQ-9A Block 5 improve and the acquisition of further airframes, in addition to the participation within the EUROMALE program. Furthermore, the service will procure within the very brief time period new Remotely Piloted Plane (RPA) with kinetic capabilities, for use as functionality enhancers to implement a brand new command and management structure. Notably, an Italian delegation lately visited Baykar in Turkey.
As talked about earlier, the Air Pressure will even co-lead the acquisition of six M3A platforms with the Navy, strengthening maritime patrol and ASW capabilities that had been misplaced after the Breguet Atlantic’s retirement.
The brand new DPP confirmed the procurement of the 24 new Eurofighter Hurricane Tranche 4 plane to exchange the Tranche 1 fleet, which is about to be retired by 2029, alongside the brand new batch of 25 F-35s (15 F-35A and 10 F-35B), bringing the overall deliberate fleet to 115 plane. Equally, it confirmed the plan to amass 20 new M-346 trainers, 15 of which is able to equip the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic group as replacements for the growing old MB-339PAN, with 5 further plane becoming a member of the Worldwide Flight Coaching Faculty (IFTS) at Decimomannu Air Base.
The GCAP (World Fight Air Programme) additionally sees a renewed funding, including over €1 billion, for the event of the sixth-generation fighter and its ecosystem.
Equally to the Military, air defenses assigned to the Air Pressure will see an enlargement of short- and medium-range techniques, together with further MAADS (Medium Superior Air Protection System) models outfitted with CAMM-ER (Frequent Antiair Modular Missile – Prolonged Vary) and 5 new SAMP/T New Technology (NG) batteries.
