The new facility at Trapani-Birgi will make the Sicilian base Italy’s third operational F-35 hub and a future multinational training center for NATO and partner nations.
Italy’s Ministry of Defense has formally approved the creation of a new F-35 Lightning II training center at Trapani-Birgi Air Base, authorizing an investment of €112.6 million to turn the Sicilian installation into the country’s third operational base for the fifth-generation fighter. The other two are Amendola and Ghedi air bases, home to the Italian Air Force’s 32nd and 6th Wings, respectively.
According to the Italian state news agency ANSA, the project will establish the so-called Lightning Training Center, dedicated to training F-35 pilots and open not only to Italian units but also to NATO and European partner nations involved in the Joint Strike Fighter program. Once operational, Trapani would become the first F-35 pilot training center located outside the United States.
The initiative is part of the broader JSF framework and foresees the creation of two flying units at Trapani: one national operational unit and one international training unit, in addition to a shared training and support center.
The first phase of the program, described as a priority, includes the construction of a dedicated ground training building, a Special Access Program Facility, two Full Mission Simulators, and space reserved for additional Pilot Training Devices in the future. According to ANSA, completion of the Lightning Training Center building is scheduled for July 1, 2029, with initial operational capability (IOC) expected by December 2028.
The project will be carried out by a joint venture formed by Leonardo and Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin will supply the simulators and advanced training systems, while Leonardo will be responsible for managing classified engineering data in accordance with U.S. regulations and the security agreements governing the F-35 program.
Construction work is expected to begin later this year and will unfold over a five-year period. Spending will ramp up progressively, peaking at more than 47 million Euro in 2029.
As The Aviationist has previously reported, Trapani-Birgi has long been considered a strong candidate for an expanded F-35 role, given its strategic location in the central Mediterranean and its existing infrastructure supporting advanced air operations. In earlier coverage, we highlighted how Italy has been steadily consolidating its position within the F-35 enterprise, not only as an operator but also as a key industrial and sustainment hub, thanks in part to the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri.
The decision to establish an international F-35 pilot training center in Italy fits squarely within this strategy, reinforcing the country’s role as a reference point for allied air forces transitioning to fifth-generation capabilities. It also aligns with Rome’s broader ambition to leverage the F-35 program for long-term industrial, technological, and employment returns.
At the same time, the ANSA report notes that the project has sparked controversy at the local level, with criticism focused on the increasing militarization of the territory. Despite these concerns, the Ministry of Defense appears committed to moving forward, framing the investment as both a strategic and economic opportunity tied to Italy’s participation in one of the most complex and far-reaching defense programs in the world.
This is what we wrote in a recent article published in September 2025:
The selection of Trapani is particularly interesting: the airport in northwestern Sicily is a joint civil and military airfield, currently home to the 37° Stormo (Wing) of the Italian Air Force, equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon jets. This means that the international F-35 school, twin to Luke Air Force Base, will share runways and infrastructure with a civilian airport, something quite unique.
Back in 2023, during a media briefing hosted by Lockheed Martin in Rome as part of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Italian Air Force, Jonathan Hoyle, Chief Executive Europe, and Randy Howard, Vice President of Global Pursuits, revealed that the Italian Air Force was planning to add a third F-35 base in addition to Ghedi and Amendola: Decimomannu, in Sardinia.
The new base at “Deci” had in fact been hinted at by one of the exhibition panels located next to the Lightning mock-up on display at the “Air Force Experience.” As we reported back then, the “Fast Facts” board had the text “Future Base” written on Decimomannu Air Base. It is not clear whether a third Italian base is still planned there; what is official now is that the F-35 school will be established at Trapani, an airfield that will likely soon be readied to accommodate the 5th generation aircraft and its dedicated training facilities.
With the approval now in place, Trapani-Birgi is set to play a central role in the next phase of European and allied F-35 operations, extending Italy’s footprint in the Lightning II ecosystem well beyond national borders.
