Italy plans to spend just under 7.5 billion euros over the next 11 years for 24 new fighters "Eurofighter" (Eurofighter), according to a Defense Ministry document seen by Reuters, BTA reported.
The order will renew the Italian Air Force in view of the necessary decommissioning of the obsolete "Eurofighter" and "Tornado" (Tornado) at a time when defense spending by NATO members is increasing due to increased geopolitical uncertainty.
The twin-engine supersonic fighters "Eurofighter Typhoon" (Eurofighter Typhoon) are produced by a German, British, Italian and Spanish consortium represented by the company "Airbus" (Airbus), the British defense equipment company "BAI Systems" (BAE Systems) and the Italian company "Leonardo" (Leonardo).
Given the fact that the order will be made by the Italian Air Force, "Leonardo" will be designated as the main contractor.
A spokesman for the Italian state-controlled aerospace and defense group declined to comment on the document. A senior company executive told Reuters in June that the government would soon announce the plan.
"The program ... will have a multi-year development timeframe of approximately 2024-2034 ... with a total value of €7.47 billion," the document said. It states that €690 million in funding has already been secured, with the remaining €6.8 billion to be funded through arrangements to be determined in the future.
The planes will replace 26 fighter jets that Italy plans to decommission after 2028, and the contract will also provide for aircraft maintenance and personnel training.
By mid-August, the relevant parliamentary committees must give an opinion on the purchase program presented late last week by the Italian government, which will pave the way for final approval.
Last month, Germany also announced that it would buy 20 more Eurofighter fighter jets. Currently "Luftwaffe" (German Air Force) has 138 such aircraft.
"New technologies available to competitors mean that air superiority, a key element of airspace control, cannot be taken for granted, and in some situations may not even be achievable," it said. in the document.
The order will allow Italy to switch between "Eurofighter" and the new Global Combat Air programme, in which Rome is participating with Britain and Japan, to develop a new advanced fighter jet expected to fly by 2035.