The ceremony at the Istrana base, where the first aircraft was assigned in 1989, in the presence of the highest authorities of the Armed Force. It has been the Italian Air Force's most used tactical aircraft in operations outside national borders.
It took place on Friday 5th April, at the Istrana (TV) military airport – home of the 51st Fighter Wing – the ceremony with which the Italian Air Force bid farewell to the AMX fighter jet, which is retiring“ after 35 years of intense operational activity both in the national territory and abroad.
At the ceremony, presided over by Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Luca Goretti, senior figures from the Armed Forces and numerous authorities attended, including the Minister of Justice, the Rt Hon Carlo Nordio, the President of the Province of Treviso Stefano Marcon, the Prefect of Treviso Angelo Sidoti and the Mayor of Istrana Maria Grazia Gasperini; a large delegation of staff who, in various capacities over the years, have had the opportunity to work on the’AMX, one of the aircraft that has characterised the recent history of the Italian Air Force and the tactical jet fighter most used by the Armed Forces in operations outside national borders.
Born from the collaboration between the Italian and Brazilian aviation industries, the first AMX he was assigned to the Italian Air Force in 1989, to the 103rd Flight Group of the 51st Wing of Istrana, before later entering service also with the 2nd Wing at Rivolto, the 3rd Wing at Villafranca and the 32nd Wing at Amendola, to progressively replace the G.91Rs and F-104s.
It Colonel Emanuele Chiadroni, Commander of the 51st Fighter Wing, taking the floor, underlined the importance of the service provided by the aircraft in its operations: “After 35 years of operational service under the insignia of the 2nd, 3rd, 32nd and 51st Wing, and thanks to the indispensable support of the 3rd Aircraft and Armament Maintenance Division (formerly the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Division), the AMX is closing an important chapter of a wonderful blue adventure. In my dual capacity – added – Both as Commander of the last Wing to be equipped with this aircraft, and as a pilot who operated the AMX for many years, I feel a deep sense of obligation to thank all of you, the gathering attendees, who with selflessness, professionalism and dedication have studied, repaired, prepared, piloted, admired and banteringly defended it, and from which we have all always demanded so much.
In 35 years of service, with over 240,000 flight hours of which 18,500 on live operations, the AMX has ploughed the skies of 33 nations, operating in eight different operational theatres and in numerous international exercises, from the freezing climates of Norway and Canada to the sand of Kuwait. For its characteristics of light and extremely versatile fighter – thanks also to various upgrades that over the years have enhanced its operational capabilities in terms of avionics, sensors, precision weaponry and range – the AMX has been an asset capable of carrying out a wide range of missions in the service of the country and the Atlantic Alliance, from interdiction and ground-attack to escort and support for ground forces, and reconnaissance within the scope of ISR missions (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance).
In the mid-90s the aircraft, also known as nickname “Ghibli” makes its operational debut in the skies over the former Yugoslavia, then again in 1999 in Kosovo; from 2009 to 2014 he took part in the mission NATO ISAF in Afghanistan, one of the operational theatres where it was most extensively used, then in Libya in 2011 and finally in Iraq e Kuwait, from 2016 to 2019, where he completed his final overseas deployment in the anti-Daesh Operation “Inherent Resolve”, which is still ongoing. Also important is the contribution at the national level, where he was employed, among other things, in valuable missions of photographic reconnaissance within the scope of the support provided by Defence to populations affected by severe disasters, such as for the earthquakes in Emilia-Romagna and Central Italy, for the’flood in Sardinia, or even in support of the action plan for the fighting fires in the Land of Fires in Campania.
“Today we bid farewell to an aircraft that has made the history of the Italian Air Force“, he said Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Luca Goretti. “For us, an aeroplane is not simply a piece of metal, it is part of the family. Behind this aircraft lies a hidden world of joys and sorrows, of emotions, of people who have managed it, maintained it, flown it – and our thoughts go out to those among them who are no longer with us – enabling us to achieve results and maintain extraordinary operational standards“.
He then concluded the General Goretti: “Today, with a touch of melancholy, we turn a page while keeping others open. The future is already here, with the Eurofighter and F-35 lines now forming the backbone of the Armed Force's fast-jet component, with sixth-generation aircraft that we are already giving concrete thought to, and with new challenges and new domains, such as the space domain, which are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives and our operating environment“.
The’AMX it is one of the aircraft that has accompanied the transformation of the Italian Air Force, a process that since 2020 has seen, among other things, the Istrana base return to being one of the bases of the National Air Defence and where the staff were able to gradually transfer all the know-how and experience gained over the years on the Eurofighter line.
Four aircraft still in service – two single-seaters and two twin-seaters – will conclude their operations in the coming weeks by landing at’Piacenza Airport, site identified for the future construction of Flying Museum of the Italian Air Force, to allow all aviation enthusiasts and aviation historians to admire the AMX in the future too and remember its service to the country.
The event began with the take-off of a formation of AMX aircraft which, after a training mission, joined up in flight with a Tornado, an Eurofighter and an F-35, ideally bringing together all the generations of tactical aircraft currently in service in the Armed Force.
Also sealing the event was the presence of National Acrobatic Patrol, present at the Treviso air base for one of the final training sessions away from their home base of Rivolto, in Friuli, before the start of the 2024 aerobatic season. An important year, which will see the Frecce Tricolori protagonist not only in Italy, but also with a Tour in North America, where they will perform again more than 30 years after the last time.
