Breaking New Ground: The Historic USAF-Italian Air Force Training Partnership at Decimomannu On August 22, 2025, the United States Air Force (USAF) and Italy’s Aeronautica Militare
On August 22, 2025, the United States Air Force (USAF) and Italy’s Aeronautica Militare signed a groundbreaking agreement that would reshape international military aviation training.
For the first time in its history, the USAF committed to training its pilots at a foreign institution within NATO at Italy’s International Flight Training School (IFTS) at Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia.
This historic partnership represents far more than a simple training arrangement; it signals a fundamental shift toward multinational cooperation in advanced military aviation education and sets a new standard for allied interoperability.
The Strategic Imperative Behind IFTS
The establishment of IFTS in July 2022 emerged from pressing operational realities facing modern air forces. As military aviation evolved with the introduction of fourth and fifth-generation fighter aircraft, including the F-35 Lightning II, Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripen, traditional national training programs increasingly struggled to meet the complex demands of modern warfare preparation.
The proliferation of advanced combat aircraft created an urgent need for sophisticated, simulation-heavy training that could prepare pilots for the technological complexities of contemporary air combat.
Italy’s vision for IFTS addressed these challenges through an innovative approach that blends military oversight with industrial partnership. The school leverages a fully integrated support model where industry partners Leonardo and CAE provide comprehensive logistics, including simulators, aircraft maintenance, and campus infrastructure.
However, the Italian Air Force maintains strict control over curriculum development, instructor selection, and operational standards, ensuring military excellence while benefiting from industrial efficiency.
This unique hybrid model has already demonstrated remarkable success. IFTS currently hosts nearly 60 student pilots simultaneously, producing approximately 80 qualified pilots annually. The facility’s capacity continues expanding, supported by 100 on-site apartments, a growing fleet of M-346 advanced jet trainers, and cutting-edge training and simulation facilities spread across a 130,000 square meter campus.
The USAF Agreement: Details and Strategic Significance
The formal agreement, titled the “Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for Flight Training of the USAF Military Personnel in Italy,” represents a watershed moment in transatlantic military cooperation. Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, Commander of the USAF’s Air Education and Training Command, confirmed that American pilots would undergo Phase IV training, the crucial Lead-In to Fighter Training (LIFT) phase that bridges basic jet training with operational conversion to frontline fighters.
This decision addresses critical challenges facing the USAF’s pilot training pipeline. With growing delays in the Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk program and increasing demand for qualified fighter pilots, partnering with IFTS provides a proven pathway for maintaining training throughput. The M-346 platform used at IFTS has been widely adopted by allied air forces for advanced training and light attack roles, making it an ideal interim solution for USAF requirements.
The first cohort of 10 American students will undergo approximately nine months of intensive training using a specialized “Multiphase Jet Training Integrated Syllabus” developed jointly by Italian and American air force experts. These pilots will fly the Italian-manufactured T-346A Master advanced jet trainer, which shares significant technological similarities with the USAF’s forthcoming T-7 trainer, ensuring seamless transition for American aviators.
Advanced Training Technology and Methodology
The backbone of IFTS’s training excellence lies in its sophisticated Phase IV syllabus, specifically designed to prepare pilots for transition to the world’s most advanced combat aircraft. The program extensively utilizes the Aermacchi M-346 (T-346A), equipped with digital cockpits that mirror those found in frontline fighters, high-fidelity training simulators, electronic warfare mission sets, and Health & Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) for predictive maintenance.
Perhaps most significantly, IFTS pioneered the implementation of Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training technology, a revolutionary approach that creates realistic combat scenarios by seamlessly integrating pilots flying actual aircraft (Live) with those operating advanced simulators (Virtual) and computer-generated forces (Constructive). This technology enables complex training scenarios that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive to conduct using traditional methods, while significantly reducing environmental impact and operational costs.
The school’s 35,000 square meters of covered facilities house state-of-the-art classrooms, simulation suites, and debriefing rooms, supported by over 22 M-346 trainers with comprehensive ground-based training systems. This infrastructure enables the delivery of tailored training programs for pilots destined for multi-type frontline aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-35, Gripen, Mirage 2000, and Tornado platforms.
Industrial Partnership and Operational Excellence
One of IFTS’s most innovative features is its integrated industry partnership model, which has redefined how military training facilities operate. Leonardo and CAE provide comprehensive end-to-end logistics, encompassing simulator support, aircraft maintenance, and campus services, while the Italian Air Force retains absolute control over curriculum, instructor qualifications, and training standards.
This approach has yielded impressive operational results. Aircraft availability rates average 70 percent, with strategically positioned buffer aircraft ensuring that 95 percent of scheduled sorties are successfully completed. Recent certifications including AMO (Approved Maintenance Organization), CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization), and EMAR 145 have enabled most maintenance activities to be conducted in-house, supporting both scheduled and unscheduled technical interventions with remarkable efficiency.
Sardinia’s favorable Mediterranean climate enables nearly year-round flying operations, with daily sortie rates consistently ranging between 30 and 35 missions. This operational tempo, fully supported by Leonardo’s maintenance and logistics teams, ensures intensive training that maximizes pilot exposure to diverse flying conditions and mission scenarios.
International Collaboration and Growing Global Presence
IFTS’s multinational character represents one of its greatest strategic assets. Currently, pilots from over a dozen countries train alongside each other, including Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom. This diverse international presence creates an environment where future aviators learn tactics, procedures, and multinational air doctrine within a genuinely shared operational environment.
The strategic value of this multinational approach extends beyond simple training efficiency. As of mid-2025, IFTS has successfully qualified 140 pilots, with 70 percent being foreign students, a testament to the school’s growing international reputation. Several additional nations, including the Netherlands and Sweden, have already signed agreements for future training slots, indicating continued expansion of the school’s global footprint.
This international focus aligns with broader strategic objectives. Industry analysts estimate that accessible countries worldwide require approximately 2,000-2,200 newly qualified pilots annually. IFTS aims to supply an increasing share of this demand through its “training export” model, which simultaneously supports Italy’s own pilot pipeline while generating significant economic and strategic dividends from allied participation.
Operational Achievements and Future Expansion
The school’s operational achievements have been substantial and continue growing. The graduation ceremony in July 2025, attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, highlighted both individual pilot achievements and the institution’s expanding global influence. As facilities continue expanding, IFTS is absorbing up to 100 pilots annually, with plans to increase this capacity further.
Future development plans include significant infrastructure and technological enhancements. Five additional T-346A aircraft are scheduled for delivery by 2028, supporting increased training throughput. Maintenance efficiency improvements are also planned, as Leonardo’s maintenance teams gain experience and potentially extend inspection intervals while increasing available flight hours per aircraft.
The school’s commitment to technological advancement continues with substantial investments in simulation-based training, reflecting global trends toward reduced flying costs, improved safety margins, and enhanced capacity for complex training scenarios with minimal environmental restrictions.
Strategic Implications for Allied Defense
The USAF-Italian Air Force agreement at IFTS represents a fundamental evolution in military pilot training, moving decisively beyond traditional national silos toward a networked, interoperable, industry-supported approach. This transformation carries profound implications for allied defense capabilities and future military cooperation.
The partnership enables allied pilots to operate seamlessly together in complex multinational environments, a critical capability as modern conflicts increasingly require coalition responses. The shared training environment creates common tactical understanding, standardized procedures, and personal relationships that enhance operational effectiveness when these pilots later serve together in real-world missions.
From a technological perspective, IFTS provides a scalable, simulation-rich training platform that responds effectively to contemporary operational realities. The school’s LVC training capability, integrated maintenance approach, and multinational operating environment create a training ecosystem that closely mirrors modern combat aviation’s complexities.
Conclusion: A New Paradigm for Military Aviation Training
The historic agreement between the USAF and Italian Air Force represents far more than a practical solution to training capacity challenges. It establishes a new paradigm for international military cooperation that prioritizes interoperability, technological innovation, and strategic partnership over traditional national boundaries.
For Italy, the agreement validates its position as a leader in military aviation training and strengthens its role within the Euro-Atlantic defense alliance. The USAF’s decision to train its pilots at a foreign institution represents unprecedented trust in allied capabilities and demonstrates commitment to truly integrated defense cooperation.
For the broader NATO alliance and international security community, the Decimomannu IFTS model offers a template for future cooperation that maximizes resources, enhances interoperability, and strengthens collective defense capabilities. As global security challenges continue evolving, such innovative partnerships will prove increasingly vital for maintaining allied readiness and operational superiority.
The success of this partnership will likely inspire similar arrangements across other military training domains, potentially revolutionizing how allied nations prepare their forces for future challenges.
In an era where technological advancement and international cooperation are essential for maintaining security, the USAF-Italian Air Force agreement at IFTS stands as a beacon of what can be achieved when allies commit to genuine partnership and shared excellence.
See the following for the Italian Air Force’s announcement of the agreement:
The featured image is from the Facebook page of the USAF training command and published on May 1, 2025.
For additional articles on IFTS, see the following:
The Third Pillar of the Italian Airpower Enterprise: The International Flight Training School
Italy Sets to Establish First F-35 Training Center Outside U.S. in Sicily
Italy and the F-35: Shaping 21st Century Coalition-Enabled Airpower