The airbase in Sicily will develop into the primary location outdoors the U.S. for worldwide F-35 pilot coaching, as Italy additional consolidates its place as a worldwide chief in superior coaching.
On Sept. 8, 2025, for the primary time, ten U.S. Air Drive pupil pilots started the “Multiphase Jet Coaching” course at Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, residence of the Worldwide Flight Coaching College (IFTS). This system, lasting about 9 months, will result in the award of army pilot wings on the T-346A (the Italian Air Drive designation for the Leonardo M-346 Grasp).
The course stems from an settlement signed on Aug. 21 between the Italian Air Drive and the U.S. Air Drive that marks a brand new milestone within the cooperation between Italy and the USA, increasing the attain of the IFTS challenge launched as a strategic partnership between the Italian Air Drive and Leonardo aerospace firm.
As defined intimately right here at The Aviationist, the IFTS, combines actual and simulated coaching on the M-346/T-346A superior jet coach, getting ready future pilots for probably the most advanced operational situations. Due to this built-in coaching system, the college has develop into a singular international reference level, attracting college students and instructors from an rising variety of nations. Alongside Italy and the U.S., pilots from Saudi Arabia, Austria, Canada, Japan, Greece, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and Hungary already prepare or instruct on the college.
With cutting-edge services and a curriculum tailor-made to the calls for of 4th and fifth technology plane such because the Eurofighter Storm and the F-35, the IFTS continues to develop as a benchmark for superior fighter pilot coaching.
Trapani chosen for the worldwide F-35 college
In opposition to this backdrop, on Sept. 12, 2025, Nino Minardo, Chairman of the Protection Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, confirmed to ANSA that Trapani-Birgi Air Base in Sicily will host the brand new international coaching heart for F-35 pilots. The ability will function the dual of the one already working at Luke Air Drive Base, Arizona, in the USA.
The affirmation follows remarks made in July 2025 by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto at Decimomannu. On the time, Crosetto introduced that Sicily would develop into the primary location outdoors the U.S. the place F-35 pilots might be skilled, whereas additionally stressing Italy’s distinctive position as the one nation assembling the fifth technology fighter of all variants for worldwide companions outdoors the U.S. on the F-35 Last Meeting and Test-Out (FACO) facility at Cameri, in northwestern Italy.
“The long run is constructed not by limiting ourselves to defence, however by making defence a social, financial and technological innovation engine. And that is an instance of that,” Crosetto defined.
In July, Crosetto and President Sergio Mattarella additionally attended a ceremony at Decimomannu the place 16 new pilots obtained their wings, a part of a category of 67 from Italy and accomplice nations. Since its opening in 2022, the IFTS has skilled 140 fighter pilots, a lot of whom have gone on to superior programs in Sardinia.
The institution of the F-35 coaching hub at Trapani-Birgi builds on the IFTS mannequin and positions Italy on the coronary heart of the worldwide F-35 enterprise.
The choice of Trapani is especially fascinating: the airport in northwestern Sicily is a joint civil and army airfield, presently residence to the 37° Stormo (Wing) of the Italian Air Drive, geared up with Eurofighter Storm jets. Which means the worldwide F-35 college, twin to Luke Air Drive Base, will share runways and infrastructure with a civilian airport, one thing fairly distinctive.
Again in 2023, throughout a media briefing hosted by Lockheed Martin in Rome as a part of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Italian Air Drive, Jonathan Hoyle, Chief Govt Europe, and Randy Howard, Vice President of World Pursuits, revealed that the Italian Air Drive was planning so as to add a 3rd F-35 base along with Ghedi and Amendola: Decimomannu, in Sardinia.
The brand new base at “Deci” had in reality been hinted at by one of many exhibition panels situated subsequent to the Lightning mock-up on show on the “Air Drive Expertise.” As we reported again then, the “Quick Details” board had the textual content “Future Base” written on Decimomannu Air Base. It isn’t clear whether or not a 3rd Italian base remains to be deliberate there; what’s official now could be that the F-35 college might be established at Trapani, an airfield that may possible quickly be readied to accommodate the fifth technology plane and its devoted coaching services.
