Italian F-16s get new tail markings!

On Aug. 27, Vincenzo Smriglio went to Trapani-Birgi airbase, home of the 37° Stormo where he discovered that the F-16s of the locally-based 10° and 18° Gruppo are receiving new tail markings. Since the two Squadrons share the aircraft that are actually owned by the 937° GEA (Gruppo Efficienza Aeromobili), all the Vipers of the 37° Stormo are being painted with the 10° Gruppo badge on one side of the tail and the 18° Gruppo one on the other side. As Vincenzo has witnessed, there’s no rule: even if MM7260 depicted in his pictures has the Francesco Baracca’s rearing horse of the 10° Gruppo on the left side, other aircraft have the 18° Gruppo badge on that one.

So far the following aircraft were noted (Serial LH | RH):

MM7260 10 Gr | 18 Gr
MM7242 18 Gr | 10 Gr
MM7261 18 Gr | 10 Gr
MM7253 10 Gr | 18 Gr
MM7266 10 Gr | 18 Gr

About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.