Italy to start building first F-35 Pilot Training Center outside the United States.

Italy will invest €112.6 million to create a multinational F-35 pilot training center at Trapani-Birgi Air Base, marking the first dedicated F-35 training facility located outside the United States.

As reported by La Sicilia on January 7, 2026, Italy’s Ministry of Defense has approved €112.6 million to establish a multinational F-35 Lightning II pilot training center at Trapani-Birgi Air Base in Sicily. The facility, the first dedicated F-35 training facility located outside the United States, will serve both as Italy’s third operational F-35 base and as an international training site for NATO and European Joint Strike Fighter partner nations. Initial training capability is scheduled for 2028, with full operational status planned for 2029.
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An F-35 Pilot Training Center is a dedicated facility where military aviators from the United States and allied nations learn to fly, operate, and employ the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet in real-world mission scenarios. (Picture source: Italian Air Force)

The funding formally turns Trapani-Birgi into Italy’s third operational base for the F-35 fighter jet and assigns it a dual function that combines national operational activity with an international training mission open to NATO and European partner nations participating in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The facility, officially designated as the Lightning Training Center, is intended to respond to the steady growth of European F-35 fleets and to the limited availability of existing training capacity, currently centered almost entirely in the United States.

By hosting this facility, Italy positions itself as a permanent European hub within the global F-35 training architecture. The approval makes Trapani-Birgi Italy’s third operational F-35 base, alongside Amendola in southern Italy and Ghedi in the north, which already host the Italian Air Force’s F-35 units, namely the 32nd Wing and 6th Wing. Under the approved structure, Trapani will host one Italian Air Force operational squadron and one international training squadron, both supported by a shared training and support infrastructure. This means the base will function simultaneously as a main operating base and as a multinational school, hosting foreign pilots, instructors, and aircraft for training purposes. In practical terms, Trapani-Birgi will bring together daily operations and training activity within a single installation.

The timeline set by the Italian Ministry of Defense defines two clear milestones that shape the entire project. An initial training capability is expected to be available by December 2028, allowing the first pilots to begin training at Trapani even before the full facility is completed. Final construction and full operational capability of the Lightning Training Center are scheduled for July 1, 2029. Construction work is planned to begin in 2026 and will extend over roughly five years, with spending rising progressively as infrastructure, simulators, and secure systems are installed. Most of the financial effort is concentrated toward the end of the decade, when the core training infrastructure becomes operational.

The first phase of implementation focuseson building the essential facilities needed to train F-35 pilots under very strict security rules. This phase includes the construction of a dedicated training building with a Special Access Program Facility, which is required to handle highly sensitive systems and information linked to the F-35. Two Full Mission Simulators will be installed during this phase, allowing pilots to train in realistic combat scenarios without flying real aircraft. Space is also reserved for additional training devices in the future as demand grows. The project is structured in phases, starting with a limited training capability and expanding step by step to include full international and national squadrons based at Trapani.

Trapani-Birgi was selected on the basis of both geography and existing operational experience. The base is a joint civil and military airfield in northwestern Sicily and currently hosts the Italian Air Force’s 37th Wing flying Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, giving it established experience with fighter operations and quick reaction alert duties. Its position in the central Mediterranean provides proximity to southern Europe and the wider Mediterranean theater, while its existing infrastructure can be adapted to support fifth-generation aircraft and secure training facilities. Other bases had been considered in the past, but the final decision confirms Trapani as the definitive site for the international F-35 training mission.

An F-35 pilot training center is designed to teach pilots how to operate a fifth-generation fighter in both routine and complex combat situations. Training is built around a mix of real flight hours and advanced simulation, with simulators playing a central role. Full Mission Simulators recreate the F-35 cockpit, sensors, weapons, and battlefield environment, allowing pilots to practice scenarios that would be difficult, risky, or very expensive to fly in real aircraft. These systems are especially important for training in networked operations, electronic warfare, and coordination with other aircraft and forces. Secure facilities are required so that classified software, mission systems, and operational methods can be used during training.

Beyond basic pilot qualification, a center like Trapani-Birgi is meant to help different countries train together and operate in the same way. Pilots from different air forces learn shared procedures, planning methods, and tactics, making it easier for them to fly together during NATO missions or joint operations. This reduces the need for European pilots to travel to the United States for long training periods and helps shorten training timelines. The Lightning Training Center is intended to serve as a European counterpart to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, linking Italy more closely to the global F-35 training network. Combined with Italy’s existing role in assembling and maintaining F-35 fighter jets at Cameri, the Trapani project strengthens Italy’s position across operations, training, and sustainment.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.