Italy is set to pay far more for far fewer fighter jets. Rome is seeking parliamentary approval to raise planned investment in its F-35 programme by €7.28 billion ($8.17 billion), lifting the total cost by more than half to €20.8 billion, according to a parliamentary document.
The programme was approved in 2009 with a planned budget of €13.5 billion. The new money would be spent from next year through to 2039, with annual allocations falling from €175 million in 2027 to €20 million in the final year.
The higher bill comes even though the fleet Italy intends to buy has shrunk. The original plan was for 131 aircraft; the decree covers 115. Italy had already decided to expand its order from 90 jets to 115, adding 25 aircraft — 15 conventional F-35As and 10 short take-off F-35Bs — but the total cost has climbed regardless.
The defence ministry blamed the increase on revised security requirements, the rising cost of technological upgrades to the aircraft, inflation and movements in the euro-dollar exchange rate. The F-35 is built by the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin and priced in dollars, leaving European buyers exposed when the euro weakens.
The decree was submitted to parliament on Tuesday, and the defence committees of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate have until 13 December to deliver their opinions. Parliamentary technical offices have already flagged gaps in the accompanying paperwork, noting that it makes no reference to industrial relations, international cooperation or export prospects.
The increase lands as European governments raise military spending in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pressure from allies to shoulder more of the continent’s defence. Italy has pledged to lift its military expenditure gradually and to accelerate investment in advanced capabilities, including its joint sixth-generation fighter project with Britain and Japan.
For Rome, the F-35 decision also carries political weight. The programme has been one of Italy’s largest and longest-running defence commitments, and a bill that has grown by more than 50 per cent while the fleet shrank is likely to draw scrutiny from opposition parties during the parliamentary review.
The decree has not yet been approved, and the committees’ opinions next month will be the first formal test of whether the government can carry the higher cost through parliament.
Note: The featured image is a file photo of an Italian F-35, not a photo of the parliamentary decree.
Sources: Reuters, “Italy sees planned F-35 fighter jet spending rise by €7.3 billion”, 10 November 2026 — https://www.reuters.com/world/italy-sees-planned-f-35-fighter-jet-spending-rise-by-73-billion-2026-11-10/ ; ANSA via Rapporteur, “Italy’s F-35 bill jumps by €7 billion” — https://www.rapporteur.com/news/italys-f-35-bill-jumps-by-e7-billion/ ; Defense News, “Italy to buy 25 extra F-35 fighter jets under new budget” — https://www.Defensenews.Com/global/europe/2024/09/17/italy-to-buy-25-extra-f-35-fighter-jets-under-new-budget/
