IFTS and the Evolution of Airpower
The evolution of military aviation has entered a transformative phase, one where the distinction between fourth and fifth-generation aircraft is less about airframe capabilities and more about how information is processed, shared, and acted upon in the battlespace.
At the heart of this transformation in Italian Air Force training sits Lt Col Antonio Leone Perrone, Squadron Commander at the International Flight Training School (IFTS), whose insights reveal a sophisticated approach to preparing pilots for an integrated, software-enabled combat environment that would have been unrecognizable just a generation ago.
The challenge facing IFTS is both simple and profound: pilots completing Phase 3 of basic flight training are not prepared to jump directly into fifth-generation fighters. The gap between basic flight skills and the demands of operating advanced combat aircraft like the F-35 or even the modernized Eurofighter has grown too wide. The M-346 aircraft used in Phase 4 training at IFTS serves as the essential bridge across this gap, but not in the way earlier training aircraft did. This is not simply about learning to fly a more complex aircraft. Rather, it’s about fundamentally reshaping how pilots think about air combat.
Lt Col Antonio Leone Perrone brings a unique historical perspective to his role, having himself trained as a AMX pilot before fifth-generation aircraft became part of the Italian Air Force inventory. His own experience provides a natural comparison point: when he went through fighter training, the concepts now central to modern air combat simply didn’t exist in the training pipeline. The absence of fifth-generation jets during his own training means he can directly assess the value added by incorporating these concepts earlier in pilot development.
This firsthand experience of both training eras gives Antonio particular credibility when he emphasizes how essential Phase 4 training has become. The M-346 isn’t just a more advanced trainer aircraft. It’s a platform specifically designed to introduce concepts that will be “everyday concepts” when pilots transition to operational Eurofighter or F-35 squadrons. The difference is not incremental; it’s transformational.
One of Antonio’s most striking observations centers on the fundamental nature of fifth-generation aviation. As he explains, the key difference between fourth and fifth-generation aircraft is software, not hardware. In fourth-generation fighters, capabilities are largely hardware-constrained. Want a new capability? You need new physical equipment, new weapons pylons, new radar arrays, changes that are expensive, time-consuming, and often limited by the physical constraints of the airframe.
Fifth-generation aircraft operate on an entirely different paradigm. Capabilities can be added, modified, or enhanced through software updates. This software-centric approach doesn’t just apply to operational aircraft because it extends to training as well. The M-346 can be continuously updated with new software that replicates evolving operational capabilities. This means the training platform can keep pace with the operational world without requiring new aircraft purchases or major hardware modifications.
This software-driven approach has profound implications for training efficiency and cost-effectiveness. As Antonio notes, training certain concepts on the M-346 is significantly cheaper than waiting until pilots reach operational squadrons to learn them. By “downloading” operational concepts from F-35 and Eurofighter units to the M-346 training environment, students arrive at their operational conversion units already familiar with radar concepts, precision weapons employment, and sensor fusion, capabilities that the previous MB-339 training aircraft simply couldn’t replicate.
The relationship between IFTS and the Operational Conversion Units (OCUs) for F-35 and Eurofighter squadrons represents a crucial feedback mechanism. Twice per year, IFTS instructors meet with OCU personnel to discuss what operational squadrons are actually doing and determine which concepts can be incorporated into Phase 4 training. This regular dialogue ensures that IFTS training remains relevant and aligned with operational realities.
This feedback loop works in both directions. As operational squadrons develop new tactics and procedures, these can be filtered back to IFTS for incorporation into Phase 4 training. Conversely, as IFTS develops more effective training methodologies, these insights flow forward to operational units. The result is a dynamic, evolving training system that doesn’t become obsolete or disconnected from operational needs.
The meetings between IFTS and OCU personnel also reveal how much the operational environment itself has evolved. When F-35s first began entering service, there was considerable resistance from Eurofighter communities. The Eurofighter was and remains a highly capable fourth-generation-plus aircraft, and some questioned whether the F-35 was truly necessary. Early in the F-35’s operational life, there was a period of misunderstanding about what integration between fourth and fifth-generation aircraft could actually achieve.
The evolution of thinking about how Eurofighters and F-35s work together represents one of the more significant cultural shifts in modern military aviation. Early resistance to the F-35 often stemmed from viewing it as a replacement for capable fourth-generation aircraft rather than as an enabler that could enhance the effectiveness of the entire force. The Eurofighter community, particularly in the early years, sometimes saw the F-35 as a threat to their relevance rather than a complement to their capabilities.
Over time, operational experience has demonstrated the value of fifth-gen enablement or the concept that fourth-generation aircraft can become significantly more effective when operating within a fifth-generation enabled environment. The F-35’s sensor fusion capabilities, low observability, and advanced data links allow it to serve as a quarterback for the entire force, providing situational awareness and targeting data that dramatically enhances the effectiveness of traditional fighters like the Eurofighter with their superior weapons loads.
This operational reality has fundamentally changed how OCUs train pilots. Eurofighter OCUs have had to adapt their training to reflect that their pilots won’t be operating in isolation but as part of an integrated force working alongside F-35s. This shift in operational squadron training naturally flows back to IFTS, where Antonio and his team can begin shaping pilots’ understanding of integrated operations much earlier in their development.
Shaping mental furniture is really what IFTS is trying to accomplish. The goal isn’t simply to teach pilots how to fly the M-346 or even to introduce them to specific systems they’ll encounter in operational aircraft. The deeper objective is to shape how pilots think about air combat and to build cognitive frameworks that will serve them throughout their careers.
This approach recognizes that modern air combat is fundamentally about information management and decision-making in complex, time-compressed environments. The challenge isn’t learning to fly an F-35 or Eurofighter in isolation; it’s learning to operate effectively as part of an integrated force where multiple platforms, sensors, and weapons systems must work together seamlessly. Creating this mindset requires starting early, not waiting until pilots reach operational squadrons.
By introducing concepts of sensor fusion, data link operations, and integrated force employment during Phase 4 training, IFTS ensures that pilots develop mental models compatible with how they’ll actually fight. They won’t have to unlearn segmented thinking, i.e. the idea that you’re either a “Eurofighter pilot” or an “F-35 pilot” operating independently. Instead, they arrive at operational units already thinking in terms of integrated operations, of how different platforms complement each other, of how information flows across the battlespace.
This approach to shaping mental furniture extends to leadership development as well. At IFTS, students learn to manage complex scenarios, to think several steps ahead, to coordinate multiple assets. The simulation capabilities available at IFTS allow instructors to create sophisticated threat environments where students must make decisions under pressure, managing multiple information streams while leading other aircraft.
One of the most demanding aspects of fifth-generation aviation is the sheer volume of information available to pilots. Modern fighters merge inputs from multiple sensors, radar, electronic warfare systems, infrared search and track, data links receiving information from other friendly aircraft, ground stations, and even autonomous systems. The cockpit displays present this flood of information, and pilots must rapidly interpret it, prioritize it, and act on it.
As Antonio explains, developing multitasking skills in an environment with multiple sensor inputs is crucial. The M-346, with its advanced simulation capabilities and data link systems, can replicate this information-rich environment. Students learn to interpret what they’re seeing on their displays, to understand what’s happening in the battlespace based on multiple simultaneous inputs, to distinguish between critical information and noise.
Interestingly, Antonio notes that in many ways, the F-35 makes this easier than the M-346. The F-35’s advanced sensor fusion takes multiple raw inputs and processes them into a unified picture, doing much of the interpretive work for the pilot. It functions as a “fusion center,” collecting vast amounts of information and presenting it in an integrated, coherent way. The M-346 requires slightly more manual interpretation, slightly more active thinking by the pilot. This actually makes it a better training platform for students learn the fundamentals of information integration and interpretation, so when they transition to aircraft with more advanced automation, they understand what’s happening beneath the surface.
The economics of modern fighter pilot training can’t be ignored. Flying hours in operational fighters are extremely expensive. For example, operating an F-35 costs thousands of dollars per hour. If pilots arrive at operational squadrons needing to learn basic concepts about radar operation, precision weapons employment, or data link procedures, those lessons are being purchased at premium prices.
By teaching these concepts during Phase 4 training on the M-346, which is significantly less expensive to operate than frontline fighters, the Italian Air Force achieves substantial cost savings while actually improving training outcomes. Pilots arrive at OCUs already familiar with fundamental concepts, allowing operational training to focus on platform-specific tactics and more advanced employment concepts rather than basics.
This cost-effectiveness extends beyond direct operating costs. By providing a smoother transition from basic flight training to operational fighters, IFTS reduces the time required for pilots to become fully mission-qualified. This means operational squadrons get fully capable pilots more quickly, improving overall force readiness. The reduction in training time at OCUs also means those units can focus more on advanced tactics and less on foundational concepts.
One of the ongoing challenges in military aviation training is keeping training platforms relevant as operational aircraft evolve. Historically, this has meant that training aircraft become increasingly disconnected from operational realities over time. A trainer designed in one era may poorly reflect the capabilities and operating environment of fighters introduced a decade or two later.
The software-centric approach embodied in the M-346 offers a potential solution to this challenge. Because capabilities can be added or modified through software rather than hardware changes, the M-346 can theoretically evolve in parallel with operational aircraft. As fifth-generation fighters receive software upgrades that add new capabilities or modify how existing systems work, corresponding updates can be developed for the M-346 to maintain training relevance.
Antonio sees this as essential for the long-term viability of Phase 4 training. The same platform can continue serving effectively not because it’s perfect for all time, but because it’s adaptable. New simulation features, new sensor models, new tactical concepts—all can be incorporated through software updates. This doesn’t mean the M-346 will never need replacement, but it does mean its useful training life can be extended considerably compared to previous-generation trainers that were more hardware-limited.
Ultimately, what IFTS is doing extends far beyond teaching people to fly airplanes. The facility is helping to shape the cognitive and operational framework for Italy’s future air combat capability. By introducing concepts of integration, sensor fusion, and software-enabled warfare early in pilot development, IFTS is building a generation of aviators who think differently about air combat than their predecessors.
This isn’t about making Eurofighter pilots or F-35 pilots. It’s about developing pilots for integrated air operations who can seamlessly work across different platforms and adapt as those platforms continue to evolve. The challenge facing modern air forces isn’t technical; the hardware works. The challenge is human: how do you develop people who can effectively employ these increasingly complex systems in coordination with other platforms, other services, and even autonomous systems that are beginning to appear in the battlespace?
The facility isn’t just executing a training curriculum; it’s experimenting with how to best prepare pilots for an air combat environment that continues to evolve rapidly. The feedback loops with operational squadrons, the software-enabled adaptability of the training platform, the focus on developing cognitive frameworks rather than just technical skills, all reflect a sophisticated understanding of what modern fighter pilot training requires.
The interview with Lt Col Antonio Leone Perrone highlights an Italian Air Force that is thinking deeply about how to prepare pilots not just for today’s fighters, but for tomorrow’s integrated battlespace. The M-346 and Phase 4 training at IFTS represent more than an intermediate step between basic flight training and operational squadrons because they represent a fundamental rethinking of how fighter pilots should develop.
By recognizing that fifth-generation warfare is fundamentally about software, information management, and integration rather than just more capable hardware, Antonio and his team at IFTS are positioning Italian Air Force pilots to thrive in an increasingly complex operational environment. The focus on shaping mental furniture, on building cognitive frameworks that will serve throughout a career, on creating smooth transitions rather than jarring leaps between training phases, all of these approaches reflect a mature, sophisticated training philosophy.
Lt Col Antonio Leone Perrone and his team are doing more than training pilots; they’re helping to define what it means to be a fighter pilot in the fifth-generation era. And in doing so, they’re ensuring that when Italian Air Force pilots face adversaries in contested airspace, they’ll do so with the cognitive tools, technical skills, and integrated mindset necessary to prevail.
The photos below highlight my discussion with Lt Col Antonio Leone Perrone.
I have recently visited the Italian International Flight Training School on Sardinia.
This is the fifth of several articles based on my interviews and discussions while visiting the Sardinia base in October 2025.
The AI generated image highlights the international engagement at IFTS, and the integration of the LVC ecosystem with the M-346 live aircraft. The level of integration is quite remarkable.