The Italian Defence Ministry has sent Parliament the draft decree for the acquisition by the Air Force of 24 new Eurofighter TYPHOON fighters.

The document envisages an investment of €7.4 billion, of which €690 million has already been financed to cover the first phase of the programme. The new tranche of fighters will replace the TYPHOON Tranche 1, which will be decommissioned starting in 2028. The new batch will also enhance deep strike and ground engagement capabilities, thus  contributing to the replacement of the TORNADO fleet, which will be completed in 2027.

In the deep strike role, the integration of the long-range STORM SHADOW missiles has been underway for some time on the TYPHOON Eurofighters. It is not specified in the decree, but these aircrafts should come in the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard, or NG (Next Generation), characterised mainly by new mission computer with high computing power, Large Area Display (LAD), AESA CAPTOR-E Mk2 radar, DASS EVO electronic self-protection system, and the ability to control and manage gregarious drones.

In sum, this is a highly strategic investment for Italy that will have profound operational and industrial repercussions. Operationally, it will make it possible to avoid the gap in the Air Force's combat capabilities, at a time when scenarios call for high-value military capabilities and the ability to operate in peer-to-peer and multi-domain contexts, and to act as a 'bridge' and 'test bed' towards the GCAP.

In fact, a whole series of technologies will be tested on these aircraft, which will then be more fully developed and enhanced on the GCAC, thus allowing for de-risking.

The logistical support for the entire EFA fleet is included in the (five-year) programme. From an industrial point of view, the investment will make it possible to develop new technologies, maintain the solidity and robustness of a national and European supply chain of the highest value (the Eurofighter programme has traditionally had a huge industrial impact in Italy and Europe), with the relative employment load, and guarantee the continuity of production, in particular of the Leonardo Velivoli plant in Tornino-Caselle, in view of the GCAP, with relevant spin-offs also for other companies: ELTGroup, Avio Aero, MBDA Italia, and dozens and dozens of SMEs gathered in aerospace clusters (Piedmont, Umbria, Campania, Lombardy, etc.).