F-35 Fighter Jet Service Centre

F-35 Fighter Jet Service Centre  in Italy:

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all weather stealth multirole fightersundergoing testing and final development. The fifth generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack,reconnaissance, and air defense missions. The F-35 has three main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C carrier-based CATOBAR (CV) variant.

The cost of F 35 aircraft are as follows :

• F-35A: $98 million
• F-35B: $104 million
• F-35C: $116 million

Italy’s defence minister and the U.S. ambassador to Italy declared recently that an Italian site run by defence contractor Finmeccanica has been designated as the assembly site and maintenance centre for all F-35 fighter jets based in Europe.

The deal announced in Rome is a boost for Italy Aviation and Defence Sector, which is suffering from double-digit unemployment and withering investments, as well as for Finmeccanica, whose image was tarnished by corruption allegations surrounding a helicopter contract for India. Two former executives were acquitted of corruption charges.

U.S. Ambassador John Philips said the selection of the site in the northern Piedmont region “will mean substantial benefits and technological development for Italy.”

The Cameri site, part of Finmeccanica’s Alenia Aermacchi division, is expected to produce the first fighter in March.

Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti said the activities “will generate sizable economic and occupational returns,” and will help Finmeccanica relaunch the group “with a focus on enhancing its core business areas of excellence.”

Nine countries, including Britain, the United States, Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands are part of the Joint Strike Fighter program, which has been troubled by cost hikes and delivery delays.

Italy has reduced its initial order of 131 fighter jets to 90 to cut government spending in the face of economic contraction. Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said that the Cameri deal shows that the fighter jets provide an economic opportunity for the country.

Below is the cutaway of F 35 Fighter Jet :