Italy became the first non-US country to receive operational F-35 Lightning IIs on Dec. 12, according to IHS Jane’s. The two F-35As were delivered to the 32nd Wing at Amendola Air Force Base, where they will be part of the newly created 13 Squadron. Italy is the only F-35 partner nation besides Japan to have its own Final Assembly and Check Out facility, which is located at Cameri. Italy has ordered a total of 60 F-35As and 30 F-35Bs. The last aircraft is scheduled to be delivered by 2027.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…