Italy to open first F‑35 training school outside U.S. at Trapani‑Birgi by 2029

Rome has chosen Trapani‑Birgi Air Base in Sicily as the site of the first F‑35 training school outside the United States, scheduled to open by 2029. The F‑35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin will ready the facility, making Trapani Italy’s third F‑35 hub and a NATO multinational training center.

Discovered 2026-01-07T11:13:04.338242-08:00 | 2026-01-07T11:13:04.338242-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The school directly supports Europe’s growing F‑35 footprint: recent movements such as Belgium receiving its first F‑35s at Florennes and Germany’s plan to order 15 additional F‑35s increase demand for multinational pilot conversion and throughput.
  • Locating the center in Sicily leverages Italy’s existing training infrastructure and approaches to modern pilot preparation, building on the work at its International Flight Training School at Decimomannu.
  • The JPO and Lockheed Martin overseeing readiness signals direct OEM and program‑office support for facility activation, with Trapani designated as Italy’s third operational F‑35 hub and a planned multinational NATO training node by 2029.

Reported By

Aviation A2Z opex360.com Stars and Stripes onalert.gr news.defcros.com news.ssbcrack.com
Sources Tracked
12
First Seen
2026-01-07T11:13:04.338242-08:00
Latest Update
2026-01-10T10:26:12.978113-08:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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