First Eurofighter Typhoon jets in new unit markings at Trapani

The following pictures were taken by Michele Carrara at Trapani airbase, where the local based 18° Gruppo (Squadron) of the 37° Stormo (Wing) has recently been officially delivered the first Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

The image prove that the fifth Italian squadron equipped with the F-2000A (as the Typhoon is designated by the Italian Air Force) has already given its first aircraft brand new markings.

Image credit: Michele Carrara

Among the last operative units to operate the legendary F-104 Starfighter in 2003, the 18° Gruppo was the last to fly the F-16 leased by the U.S. and returned last summer to the AMARG.

The Italian Typhoons are not new to Trapani airbase: besides being regularly deployed there to take part to live firing activities in the Sardinian ranges, F-2000As of both the 4° Stormo from Grosseto and 36° Stormo from Gioia del Colle, took part to Operation Unified Protector enforcing the No-Fly Zone over Libya in 2011.

About David Cenciotti
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.