The key facts

  • The additional €7.28 billion will increase the cost of the F-35 program from €13.5 billion to €20.8 billion
  • The funding covers the 2027–2039 period
  • The Defense Committee must deliver its opinion by December 13

Request for additional funding

The Italian government is seeking parliamentary approval for additional spending of €7.28 billion ($8.1 billion) on the program to acquire F-35 fighters. According to a parliamentary briefing document, this will raise the total cost of the program by more than 50%: from €13.5 billion, envisaged at the time of approval in 2009, to approximately €20.8 billion ($23.1 billion).

What the funds will be used for and how the increase is explained

The proposed funding covers the period from 2027 to 2039. It concerns the continuation of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter purchases and the expansion of the related industrial-technological facility in Cameri in northern Italy, according to the official record of the Chamber of Deputies. As reasons for the cost increase, the government cited technological modernizations, revised security requirements, inflation, and changes in the euro-to-dollar exchange rate.

Consideration in parliament

The draft ministerial decree, registered as government act No. 452, was submitted to parliament on October 30 and referred to the relevant committees on November 3. The Defense Committee of the Chamber has until December 13 to deliver its opinion; the Budget Committee must present its remarks by November 23. For now, the proposal remains under parliamentary consideration. The increase in planned spending comes amid growing military investment by European countries since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine and calls to strengthen European defense capabilities.