[quote][b][url=/v3/forum/europe-14/topic/aeronautica-militare-italiana-italie-180/?post=17221#post-17221]rafighter[/url] a dit le 17/09/2007 à 12:36 :[/b]

[quote]Second Italian Eurofighter Base Readies for Debut

The Italian Air Force will station Eurofighters at a second base Oct. 1 when it deploys four aircraft to Gioia del Colle in Puglia in southern Italy. Hangars and aprons are now being refurbished to host the Eurofighter component, which will reach full operational capability for air defense missions by January 2009 and grow to a squadron strength of about 15 aircraft by the end of 2009, said Col. Antonio Conserva, commander of Gioia del Colle’s 36th Wing...

... Situated in the heel of Italy, Gioia del Colle currently hosts Tornado IDS ground-attack aircraft flown by the 156th Squadron. Those 15 aircraft will be transferred next year to Italy’s Ghedi base.

“As part of a rationalization operation, Italy’s Tornados will be now grouped at two bases in northern Italy, Ghedi and Piacenza,” said Conserva. “The use of the Tornados during the Kosovo campaign gave Gioia real visibility, but the coming deployment of a new generation aircraft like the Eurofighter means a return to the spotlight.”

In addition to ground-attack missions, air defense duties have been undertaken since the 1960s from Gioia by the 12th squadron, which flew F-104s and then Tornado ADV aircraft leased from the United Kingdom between 1995 and 2004, with 24 Tornados based at Gioia. Subsequently, the Aermacchi MB339 CD jet trainer has been deployed there to counter slow-moving threats such as light aircraft, although the MB339 is now being phased out at Gioia and only three to four are operational from the base, Conserva said...

... Like the Grosseto-based aircraft, the Block 2 Eurofighters heading for Gioia will be armed with Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, AIM-9L missiles and the 27mm Mauser cannon. After the first four arrivals in October, Conserva said he expected another four in 2008 and six to eight aircraft a year from 2009 onward...

... All Italy’s first-tranche aircraft will be upgraded to Block 5 standard, with the Passive Infra-Red Airborne Tracking Equipment, which combines forward-looking infrared with infrared search and track. Alenia officials say the type will also be able to use bombs such as the GBU-10, GBU-16 and Paveway II, although the Italian Air Force has no plans to buy those weapons...[/quote]

source: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3002730&C=airwar

Rafighter[/quote]