Italian air force F-35A Lightning II jets fly over Alaska in 2024. The Italian air base in Trapani, Sicily, will host the first pilot training facility for the aircraft outside the U.S., according to media reports in the two countries. (Raina Dale/U.S. Air Force)
NAPLES, Italy — An Italian air base in Sicily will host the first F-35 Lightning II pilot training facility outside the U.S., an indication of NATO’s increasing demand for the fifth-generation fighter jet.
The roughly $130 million multinational training school will be situated at a joint military-civilian airport near the city of Trapani on the island’s northwest side, according to U.S. and Italian media reports citing a formal announcement by the Italian defense ministry this week.
Establishment of the European pilot training center for the F-35 responds “to the growing demand for training linked to greater program participation by NATO and European countries,” the Italian online military magazine Analisi Difesa reported Thursday, quoting directly from defense ministry documents.
Italy is among at least 13 European countries flying the fighter jet, which is quickly becoming a cornerstone of European defense.
For example, Dutch F-35s shot down Russian drones over Poland in September, one of a string of European airspace violations blamed on Russia that had NATO debating how to respond.
Italy and Denmark plan to add 25 and 16 of the aircraft, respectively, to their fleets, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said in a statement Wednesday.
The U.S. has F-35 pilot training facilities at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, among other installations.
Development of the Trapani training facility will be financed by the Italian government and overseen by the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office as well as Lockheed Martin, according to a Defense News report.
It’s expected to have two full mission simulators, with initial ground training offered by December 2028. Completion of the center is expected by July 2029, Defense News reported.
The joint program office and the Italian defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lockheed Martin deferred comment on plans for an Italy-based F-35 pilot training center to the Italian government.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told reporters last year that Sicily would be the first location outside the U.S. to train F-35 pilots, the Italian news agency Ansa reported in July.
The training facility at Trapani further expands Italy’s stake in the F-35 program. The country already has a maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade facility in the north for Europe-based jets.
The hub, which inducted its first Europe-based U.S. F-35 for planned depot maintenance in March, also includes the jet’s only European assembly line.
The training facility at Trapani will be the third Italian base with an F-35 squadron, joining Amendola and Ghedi air bases.
U.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella, near the Sicilian town of Catania, is about 192 miles southeast of Trapani. It is adjacent to an Italian air base.
