Official designation of the AMI is F-2000 as I have stated above. Typhoon is painted on the fins and the Italians sometimes refer to them as Tifone (hope that’s the corrrect spelling), but the official designation is F-2000A for single seaters and F-2000B for twin seaters.

Hello,
can you provide me some source for this. I´m not doubting what you say, but I am Italian and lived in Italy till 2007 and never found out this on official publications or italian aviation magazines.
The Italian Air Force doesn´t have any official designation system for its aircraft and they usually retain the manufacturer´s designation or the name given by the USAF in case of aircraft purchased from the US.
F-2000, as opposed to EF-2000, is not the manufacturer´s designation, nor any other Air Force´s so I am surprised that the AMI has chosen this.

Ciao

Stefano

I´m sorry,
I haven´t expressed myself correctly.
You buy israeli equipment built in israel from israeli company.
You buy american helicopters built in america by an american company.
You buy american helicopters built in italy by an italian company.
I don´t think it would be bad, just that it might give more reason for complaining to those who advocate a different solution.
I was just wondering whether such an arrangement would be absolutely acceptable or would it be seen as yet another lost opportunity for the UK Industry or a mismanaged programm from the MoD or UK Govt.

AgustaWestland has already won the production license for the new batch of CH-47F for the Italian Army (called ICH-47F)
I think production should start soon, possibly in the next 24 months.
Would it be economically and politically acceptable that the new Chinooks for the RAF will be produced in Italy? Could it bring advantages in terms of cost and delivery time?

British and German Phantoms both hail from St Louis im afraid, neither country had a final assembly line. In britains case the rear fuselages sections were built by BAC and HSA at Brough acted as a sister design authority…

Zeb

If I´m not wrong Germany participated in the production of its 175 F-4F although the final assembly remained in St. Louis. Not sure whether German contribution was involved in the 88 RF-4E delivered to the Luftwaffe from the end of the 60´s
It´s actually interesting to point out how Germany and the UK didn´t get a full production license (or maybe didn´t ask for it), considering the high number of examples bought. If I´m not wrong it should be a total of 177 Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 for the UK and a grand total of 273 F-4E/F/RF-4E for the Luftwaffe.

As for the F-86 mentioned earlier, the UK with more than 400 examples of the Sabre, didn´t produce any (they came from Canadair, 179 of which were later transferred to the Italian Air Force among others).
FIAT AVIAZIONE of Italy produced in its plant in Caselle, north of Turin 221 F-86K for the Italian Air Force, French Air Force and possibly Denmark and other European Nato Air Forces.

Very nice shots
and also those in your website.
I particularly liked those from Ramstein.
I live not too far from there but I still haven´t managed to go and have a look

Gruß

Stefano

I have also read in several publications, not last Air International, that the Lightning was indeed agile (compared to its counterpart of the ´60s). But its weapon system, Fireflash and Firestreak missiles were somewhat inferior, which, together with the already mentioned short endurance, made it a less than ideal defence fighter.
I don´t know much about the performances of the Mig21. It´s widespread use is most probably due to its cheap price and lack of complexity than to its overall capability.

Ciao

Stefano

Aren´t there other more urgent issues in the Air Force?
What about the fighter for the ANG? Is the C-5 upgrade fully funded?
Combat SAR Helos?
I mean, the USAF has already more than 200 C-17s in service,
what could 10 more do in terms of global logistic capability?
Boeing has several military programmes; those additional funds will most probably end up on Boeing anyway.
What about further funding for ABL researches?

Moreover, the C-17 is manufactured in 43 different States of the US? Hardly an efficient way to handle a programm.
If I´m not wrong the only real flaw of the C-17 is its high purchase price. Maybe a more efficient production could have lowered the final price and made it more attractive
for export customers?