The Italian MOD has just announced that an Italian Air Force Eurofighter was hit overnight at Al Taif Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
An Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon, deployed to Al Taif Air Base, officially known as King Fahd Air Base, in Saudi Arabia, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, was damaged in a Houthi attack last night. Despite the claims the aircraft has been destroyed (which is possible), the extent of the damage has not been disclosed yet.
“Tonight I personally followed, with the utmost attention and in contact with the Chief of Staff of the Defense, General Luciano Portolano, the evolution of the situation in Saudi Arabia, and in particular at the Ta’if air base, which has been the target of several attacks and where Italian personnel engaged in Operation Inherent Resolve are present,” an official statement of the Italian Ministry of Defense Guido Crosetto said.
“No Italian military personnel were involved. In the attack, an Italian F-2000 aircraft, which was located in a decentralized area of the base was hit. There are no other damages to vehicles or infrastructure used by our personnel.”
“I asked the Chief of Staff of the Defense, General Luciano Portolano, the Commander of the Joint Operational Command, Lieutenant General Giovanni Maria Iannucci, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Antonio Conserva, to provide me with a further assessment, after those already carried out in recent weeks, on the evolution of the situation, the conditions of our personnel, and the possible operational options.”
“It was reconfirmed to me that all security measures to safeguard the military personnel had already been in place for some time.In a few minutes, I will have the first update during a meeting at the Ministry of Defense. The situation is being followed with the utmost attention with the aim of ensuring the full protection of our personnel and operating with the necessary responsibility.”
“Questa notte ho seguito personalmente, con la massima attenzione e in contatto con il Capo di Stato Maggiore della Difesa, Generale Luciano Portolano, l’evoluzione della situazione in Arabia Saudita, e in particolare alla base aerea di Ta’if, che è stata oggetto di diversi… pic.twitter.com/ihJFLPemvT
— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) September 18, 2026
Four Eurofighters have been deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of the Task Force Air – Arabia since the second half of March 2026 to support the air defense of the Gulf Allies against the Iranian drone and missile strikes.
Commanded by an Italian Air Force Colonel, Task Force Air – Arabia includes Task Group Argo, equipped with E-550A CAEW aircraft for early warning, aerial surveillance, and command, control, and communications functions; Task Group Typhoon, with four Eurofighter F-2000A aircraft tasked with contributing to the defense of assigned airspace; Task Group Medal, equipped with C-130J/KC-130J aircraft for tactical transport, support to operational activities in the main theaters of national interest in the Middle East and Horn of Africa, and possible medical evacuation missions; Task Group Kuwait, which provides air surveillance through an AN/TPS-77 air defense radar and specialized technical support to Kuwait Air Force aircraft; and Task Group C-UAS, equipped with the ACUS-E counter-drone system to defend against small unmanned aerial systems.
Located in western Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea, far beyond the standard operational range of many Iranian one-way attack drone and missile threats compared to other installations in the region, Al Taif is not beyond the reach of the Houthi rebels, in Yemen’s western coast. In recent weeks, the the Iran-aligned group has repeatedly targeted Saudi cities, military bases and oil infrastructure, prompting Riyadh to strike back against militant positions in Yemen.
The conflict is once again disrupting shipping through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, compounding the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on global maritime trade and energy exports. As a consequence, Italy has announced a military mission to escort merchant vessels transiting the Red Sea.
This is not the first time the Italian contingent is hit. Four Italian F-2000s were deployed to Ali Al Salem AB, in Kuwait, when the base came under Iranian attack on Mar. 15, 2026. The attack destroyed an Italian Air Force MQ-9A Reaper and damaged one Eurofighter Typhoon. Three returned to Italy a few days later, with the status of the fourth one still unknown.
The one in the night between Sept. 17 and 18, 2026, appears to be the first reported Houthi strike to hit a fighter operated by a European air force.
Deployed across areas of crisis
The Italian Air Force Eurofighters, continue to support several different operations around different regions. Along with the already mentioned deployments to the Middle East, a contingent of F-2000A jets (as the single seaters are designated in Italy) is also deployed at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania as part of “Baltic Thunder III” in support of NATO BAP (Baltic Air Policing mission).
One of them engaged and destroyed a Russian drone which had violated NATO airspace over Lithuania on September 14, 2026.
A drone was successfully neutralised over Lithuanian territory.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Italian pilots serving in the NATO Air Defence Mission showed a swift and responsible response. Thank you!
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) September 14, 2026
The unmanned aircraft was destroyed using a missile.
Nella tarda serata di ieri, due caccia Eurofighter F-2000 della Task Force Air “Baltic Thunder III” dell’#AeronauticaMilitare sono decollati in modalità #scramble nell’ambito della missione #NATO di difesa aerea sul fianco orientale dell’Alleanza, in seguito alla violazione dello… pic.twitter.com/C2UOIvTQET
— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) September 15, 2026
