Italian SOF Test F 35 Integration During NATO ACE Exercise
Italian SOF F 35 integration was tested during Artiglio 2025, a late November exercise led by the Italian Air Force under NATO Allied Air Command oversight. The activity focused on NATO Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, and operations in contested environments using dispersed and austere locations.
According to NATO Allied Air Command, the exercise aimed to operationalize ACE concepts while addressing counter anti access and area denial challenges. The scenario emphasized tight coordination between special operations forces and fourth and fifth generation aircraft.
Simulated Forward Base Operations
Piacenza Air Base in northern Italy was configured as a simulated forward operating node inside contested territory. NATO described the setup as a landing strip of opportunity, secured through special operations to enable follow on air activity aligned with Global Access Operations concepts.
Italian Air Force Special Operations Task Units infiltrated the area using HH 101A helicopters with fast rope insertion. The teams conducted special reconnaissance and direct action missions to prepare the site for air operations.
Integrated Air Support and Strike Missions
Air support during Artiglio 2025 included Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft providing close air support and PA 200 Tornado jets conducting ground assisted air interdiction. These missions were designed to suppress simulated ground threats and protect the temporary operating location.
The Italian SOF F 35 integration phase centered on the controlled insertion of an F 35A Lightning II into the austere airstrip. Combat Controller Teams from 17 Stormo Incursori surveyed, established, and controlled the landing area, a capability NATO considers critical for ACE in hostile environments.
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The exercise also demonstrated a Forward Arming and Refueling Point supporting the F 35A. Italian Air Force personnel carried out hot refueling with engines running and the pilot onboard. NATO Allied Air Command said the procedure highlighted rapid regeneration of combat airpower from dispersed locations, a core element of the ACE concept.
Italian officials stated that Artiglio 2025 validated procedures for integrating special operations forces with high end air assets, reinforcing Italy’s role in NATO airpower modernization and alliance wide readiness.
