Aviation Report reported that Italy will have two more F-35 and that Belgium is preparing to join the program. The production lots contracted and financed by the Italian Defense arrive up to the LRIP 14 (Low Rate Initial Production) while the FACO of Cameri continues its work of supplying the wing boxes for the entire JSF supply program and the assembly of new aircraft, including those destined for Holland and the first maintenance work on an F-35 of the Italian Air Force.
On 15 and 16 October, the eleventh F-35A Lightning II and the second F-35B of the 30 foreseen in the total order of 90 units took their baptism of flight. The first example of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version was assigned to the Italian navy.
Test flights and certification of the two machines will continue until the final delivery to the Italian Defense.
It should be remembered that in Italy 253 aircraft between Tornado, AMX and AV-8B Harrier will be replaced with only 90 F-35 Lightning II (Aeronautica Militare: 60 F-35A CTOL and 15 F-35B STOVL; Navy: 15 F-35B STOVL ) in various roles such as attack and interdiction, reconnaissance and intelligence and fleet air defense.
To date, 10 F-35A and 1 F-35B are fifth generation jets received respectively by Italian aeronautics and navy. Belgium, according to some foreign press agencies, has rejected the sale of 34 Eurofìghter Typhoon (in the T4 version) supported by the United Kingdom itself with heavy industrial offset supplied.
Therefore, Belgium would be ready to choose the Joint Strike Fighter, 34 will be the F-35 expected for a contract worth 6,3 billions of dollars that includes logistics systems, training, support and adaptation of infrastructure for new fighters, which will bring new work for the FACO of Cameri and the entire industrial industry.