![]() ![]() In 2007, the Phase 1 Enhancement (P1E) programme started, the first of a series of capability improvements for Tranche 2 and Tranche 3A Typhoon aircraft designed to improve its combat effectiveness. Italy, as with other partner nations, is involved in all the various improvement programmes developed by the Eurofighter consortium. Later, medium to long-range interception capability was improved with the introduction of the AIM-120C-5 model of the AMRAAM missile, though the journey to enlarge and complete the aircraft’s arsenal of weapons was still years away. The AIM-2000 IRIS-T IR-guided missile, a much more capable and advanced missile for short-range engagements, was added to the Typhoon’s arsenal, gradually replacing the Sidewinder. Initially, the only weapons cleared for the Typhoon were the AIM-120B AMRAAM radar-guided and AIM-9L Sidewinder IRguided missiles, and the 27mm Mauser Bk27 cannon. ![]() Like all Eurofighter partner nation air arms, Italy’s Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) started to operate its Typhoon fleet in the air defence/ air superiority role only, declaring initial operational capability on December 16, 2005. For example 155° Gruppo for a while did not feature the blue triangles.Aeronautica Militare munition troops load a live 2,000lb GBU-10 laser-guided bomb on to station 10 of a Typhoon. Of course when it comes to markings these did sometime show variations. On the tail is a yellow lightning with the 36° Stormo badge On the tail was a decoration with 3 blue triangles and the 6° Stormo badgeġ56° Gruppo: a lynx head, generally carried on the intakes. The 6° Stormo and 154° Gruppo badges both feature a red devilġ55° Gruppo: the unit badge with a black panther head on the intakes. Ragarding markings, in those days aircraft were generally assigned to each individual squadron and for this reason they carried the markings relevant to each squadronġ54° Gruppo: V shaped red flash on the tail, with 6° Stormo badge. These were coded RS-xx, where xx is the individual number. Of course there was also TTTE and a number of aircraft were with RSV, the unit tasked with flight tests, trials and research. So in the mid '80s you have 3 squadrons: 154 and 155 with 6° Stormo and 156 with 36° Stormo, with 155 moving to 50° Stormo at the end of the decade. ![]() 156° Gruppo left the Stormo in 2008 to move to 6° Stormo, where all Italian Tornado are based. These were later replaced by Tornado F-3 leased from the RAF. 12° Gruppo is the squadron you kind of missed and the one that operated the Starfighters you saw in pictures. When 36° Stormo received the Tornado in 1984, it was a wing on 2 squadrons and as common at the time the 2 had different roles: 156° Gruppo received the Tornado in the ground attack and antiship role while 12° Gruppo retained the F-104S for air defence duties. In 1999 102° became an OCU after the disbandment of TTTE In 2016 50° Stormo was deactivated and 155° Gruppo returned to 6° Stormo.ġ02° Gruppo joined 6° Stormo in 1993, having previously been part of 5° Stormo with the F-104S. moved to a new base as only squadron of the newly reactivated 50° Stormo and in the mid '90s received first the capability of using HARM missiles and later the proper ECR variant. When 6° Stormo received the Tornado in 1982, it was a single squadron unit, with 154° Gruppo (Gruppo is the equivalent of a Squadron).ġ55° Gruppo moved to 6° Stormo in 1985, receiving the Tornado in that year (previously the unit was with 51° Stormo on the F-104S). You have everything pretty correct, I can only offer some additional info: If anyone can confirm or correct any of that and maybe even have knowledge of a resource I've not found, that'd be great.Įdit: Of course, I forgot about their jets at Cottesmore with the TTTE. And did the different squadrons carry additional markings or did they just pool Wing jets? I am not sure if I have missed another squadron under the 36th or whether at this time they were still also using the F-104 as I have found photos of 36th Wing Starfighters dated as late as '87. (And 102 squadron with a blue tail flash looks to have flow the Tornado from about 1993 I think) In the second half of the 80's they were flown by two wings ģ6th Wing at Gioia del Colle with 156 squadron and a yellow tail flash.Ħth Wing at Ghedi by 154 and 155 squadrons both with red tail flashes. You just have to love the Tornado in Italian camouflage with that aluminum underside and huge white codes.Īs far as I can tell, the Tornado entered service in Italy in 1982. I was trying to educate myself on the Tornado in Italian service in the 1980's, but I am finding it is not the easiest subject to research.
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