List of active Italian military aircraft

The following is a list of military aircraft currently used by the four branches of the Italian Armed Forces: Italian Army, Italian Navy, Italian Air Force, Guardia di Finanza, Italian Coast Guard, and Carabinieri.

Air Force

Main article: Italian Air Force

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
F-35 Lightning II USA
Italy 		Swing role stealth fighter F-35A 36[1]

F-35A acquisition:[2]

F-35B acquisition:

Swing role stealth fighter, STOVL F-35B 4[5]
Eurofighter UK
Germany
Italy
Spain 		Multirole F-2000A 79

[1]

Conversion trainer TF-2000A 14

[1]

Multirole Tranche 4 0

(+ 24 on order)

[1]

24 ordered in 2024, replacing the Eurofighter Tranche 1.[6]
Tornado UK
Germany
Italy 		Multirole IDS 19

[1]

Being replaced by the F-35.
Electronic warfare ECR 12

[1]

Conversion trainer IDS 4

[1]

AEW&C
G550 CAEW USA
Israel 		Airborne early warning and control E-550A 2

[1]

Ordered in 2012, in service since 2016.[7]

3 additional planned to be ordered.

Electronic warfare
C-27J Spartan Italy Electronic warfare EC-27 Jedi 3

[1]

EA-37B Compass Call USA Electronic Attack EA-37B 0

(+ 2 on order)

[1]

2 ordered in July 2025, and 1 in option.[8]
G550 JAMMS AISREW

(Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare)

G550 JAMMS

(PMMMS)

1

(+ 2 on order)

[1]

Ordered in 2021.[9][10]
Reconnaissance
Super King Air USA SIGINT / COMINT / ISR 350 Spydr 1

[1]

[11]
Maritime patrol
ATR 72 Italy ASW / patrol P-72AS 4

[1]

Mission crews are provided by the Italian Navy.
Tanker
KC-767 USA Aerial refueling – 4

[1]

Entered service in 2011.[12]

Replacement with the KC-46A cancelled.[12]

KC-130J USA Aerial refueling KC-130J 4

[1]

6 acquired, 1 lost in November 2009.[13]

4 remain in service.[1]

Transport
C-130J Super Hercules USA Tactical airlift C-130J-30 9

[1]

C-27J Spartan Italy Transport – 7

[1]

P-180 Avanti Italy VIP transport P-180A 4

[1]

[14]
P-180 EVO+ 5
Dassault Falcon 900 France VIP transport Falcon 900 2

[15]

Operated by the 31st Wing.[16]
Falcon 900EX 1

[15]

Gulfstream G650 USA VIP transport Gulfstream G650ER 2

(+ 3 on order)

[17]

Operated by the 31st Wing.[17]

Replaced the Falcon 50 and to replace the Falcon 900 / 900EX.

Helicopters
AW101 Italy
UK 		Utility / CSAR – 12

[1]

AW139 Italy Utility / SAR AW139/M 30

[1]

Helicopter trainer 2

[1]

MD 500 USA
Italy 		Helicopter trainer NH-500M 37

[1]

Licensed built by Breda Nardi.
Trainer aircraft
M-346 Master Italy Lead-in fighter training T-346A 27

[1]

23 ordered by the Italian Air Force:

IFTS:

  • 4 (delivered by Leonardo in 2019[18])
Alenia M-345 HET Italy Basic trainer / advanced trainer T-345A 9

(+ 9 on order)

[1]

Orders:

45 planned in total.[21]

Aermacchi MB-339 Italy Basic trainer / advanced trainer – 25

[1]

Being replaced by the M-345.
SF.260 Italy Ab initio trainer – 29

[1]

P-180 Italy Multi-engine trainer VC-180C

(P-180 EVO+)

10

[1]

[22]
Gulfstream G550 USA Multi-engine trainer G550 2

[1]

Part of the G550 "Green" that are not yet modified to a specialised variant, used for training.[23]
Miscellaneous aircraft
Aermacchi MB-339 Italy Aerobatics show aircraft MB-339 PAN 10

[24]

21 acquired of this variant.[24][25]
M-346 Master Italy Aerobatics show aircraft T-346 PAN 0

(+ 15 on order)

[26]

Replacement of the MB-339 PAN with the Frecce Tricolori.[27][26][28]
P-180 Italy Radio / radar measures P-180 EVO+ 4

[29]

[29][14]
UAV
MQ-9 Reaper USA ISTAR MQ-9A Predator B 5

[30]

1× lost in an accident in 2019.

Italian Naval Aviation

Main article: Italian Navy

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
F-35 Lightning II USA Swing role stealth fighter, STOVL F-35B 10

[31]

[32]

F-35B acquisition:

AV-8B Harrier II UK
USA 		V/STOL AV-8B+ 11

[31]

[33]

Being replaced by the F-35B.

Transport
P-180 Italy Transport P-180 Maritme 3

[31]

[34][35]
Helicopters
AW101 Italy
UK 		SAR SH-101A 10

[31]

[36][37]
VERTREP MH-101A 8

[31]

[38]
ASW / ASuW EH-101A 4 [39]
NH90 European Union ASW / ASuW SH-90A (NFH) 45

[31]

[40][41]

Delivered between 2011 and October 2023.[42]

1 lost in July 2023.[31]

Transport MH-90A (TTH) 10

[31]

AB-212 USA
Italy 		ASW SH-212A 22

[31]

[43]

Licensed built by Agusta.

Utility MH-212B
Trainer aircraft
AV-8B Harrier II UK
USA 		Conversion trainer TAV-8B 1

[31]

UAV
Camcopter S-100 Austria ISR, helicopter UAV 2

[44][45]

ScanEagle USA ISR, fixed-wing UAV 10

[46]

Italian Army Aviation

Main article: Italian Army

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
P-180 Italy Transport P-180A Avanti 3

[1]

[47]
Dornier 228 Germany Transport, STOL Do 228-212 3

[1]

[48]
Helicopters
A129 Mangusta Italy Attack helicopter A129C 5 [49]

37 out of 60 remain in service.[1][50]

A129D 32
AW249 Fenice Italy Attack helicopter AW249 (IOC) 2

(7 on order)

[1]

[51]

48 ordered:[1][52]

  • 7 AW249 IOC (Initial Operational Capability)
  • 12 that were planned in IOC will be built in FOC (Full Operational Capability)
  • 29 in FOC
AW249 (FOC) 3

(41 on order)

[1]

CH-47 Chinook USA
Italy 		Heavy transport helicopter CH-47C 5

[1]

Of the 40 acquired, 5 remain in service.[1]
ICH-47F 16

[1][53]

Licence made by Leonardo.[53][54][55]
NH90 European Union Utility / transport UH-90A (TTH) 59

[1]

[56][57]

60 ordered and delivered, 1 was lost in an accident.[58][59]

AW169M Italy Utility / MEDEVAC / CASEVAC AW169MA

(UH-169D)

3[1](+ 22 on order) [60]

Programme LUH (light utility helicopter, successor of the A109, AB-206, AB-205, AB-212,AB-412).[61]

Orders:

AB-205 USA
Italy 		Utility AB-205 34

[1]

[64][65][66]

Licensed built by Agusta, to be replaced by UH-169D

AB-212 25

[1]

AB-412
AB-206 USA
Italy 		Utility 29

[1]

[67]

Licensed built by Agusta, to be replaced by UH-169D

Trainer aircraft
AW139 Italy Helicopter trainer AW139/M

(UH-169B)

2

[1]

[61]
AW169 ABC

Addestramento Basico Commerciale

Italy Helicopter trainer UH-169B 2

[68]

2 acquired in December 2019 for training, received in July 2020.[68]
UAV
RQ-7 Shadow USA ISTAR 16 4 TUAS systems ordered in 2010 with 4 drones each.[69]

Guardia di Finanza

Main article: Guardia di Finanza

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Maritime patrol
ATR 72 Italy ASW / Maritime patrol aircraft P-72A 4
ATR 42 Italy
France 		Maritime surveillance ATR-42-400MP 4
Transport
P-180 Italy Transport P-180 Avanti II 2
Helicopters
AW169 Italy Utility / Transport AW-169M 24 6 with fixed landing gear and 18 with skids
AW139 Italy Utility / Transport 20
AW109 Italy Utility / Transport AW-109N 4
NH-500 USA Trainer NH-500MC 6
NH-500MD

Carabinieri

Main article: Carabinieri

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft[70] Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Fixed-wing
P-180 Italy Transport P-180 Avanti II 2
Helicopters
AB-412 USA
Italy 		Search and Rescue / Utility AB-412 9 License built by Agusta
AB-412HP 12
AB-412SP 9
AW109 Italy Utility / Patrol A109A/A-II 26
A109E Power 3
A109N Nexus 17
AW119 Koala Italy Utility / Patrol AW-119Kx 20
AW139 Italy Utility / Patrol UH-139D 3
AW169 Italy Utility / Patrol AW169M 6
NH-500 USA Trainer NH 500D 10

Italian Coast Guard

Main article: Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard

Current inventory

Picture Aircraft Origin Type Variant In

service

Notes
Maritime patrol
ATR 42 Italy
France 		Maritime surveillance ATR-42MP-420 1
ATR-42MP-500 2
ATR-42MP-600 1
P-180 Italy Maritime surveillance P-180 Avanti II 1
Helicopters
AB412 Italy Search and Rescue AB-412HP Koala 5
AW139 Italy Search and Rescue PH-139 Nemo 15

See also

References

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