MILITARY LEONARDO-FINMECCANICA P-72A
74 | http://www.airinternational.comS
igonella Air Base, an Aeronautica
Militare (Italian Air Force) facility
near Catania, Sicily, is located in a
strategic position at the heart of
the Mediterranean. Since 1959, this
airfi eld has been the home not only to anti-
submarine aircraft of the Aeronautica Militare,
but also, thanks to NATO agreements, to US
Navy units performing similar tasks.
The beginning of post-war Aeronautica
Militare activity in the anti-submarine sector
dates from 1953, when the fi rst groups of
personnel commenced their training on
the Lockheed Harpoon. The Aeronautica
Militare’s 87° Gruppo, equipped with the S-2F
Tracker, transferred to Sigonella from Catania-
Fontanarossa in December 1959. Since then,
the base has played a key role in both NATO
and national defence plans, and since 2002,
following the disbandment of 30° Stormo at
Cagliari-Elmas, has housed the last remaining
Italian fl ying unit dedicated to maritime patrol
and anti-submarine operations: 41° Stormo.Long ago, Italy identifi ed a requirement
to replace the Dassault-Breguet Br.1150A
Atlantic, operational since 1973, with a new
aircraft type. Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon was
chosen in 2003, but budget problems,
coupled with the conviction that the
submarine threat in the Mediterranean had
become less of a problem, resulted in a plan
to acquire an interim aircraft to serve as a
bridge between the Atlantic and a future
anti-submarine patrol aircraft, which could
be purchased when the fi nancial situation
improved. Consequently, in 2008 a contract
was signed with the then Alenia Aeronautica
for the acquisition of four examples of the
ATR-72MP, the military patrol version of the
ATR-72-600, the successful Franco-Italian
turboprop regional airliner. Development of
the version selected by Italy, designated P-72A
in accordance with the Italian Mission Design
Series, has taken longer than anticipated, and
in 2014 a second contract was signed that
defi ned the fi nal confi guration of the aircraft.The P-72A is based on the ATR-72ASW
model, developed for the Türk Deniz
Hava Komutanlığı (Turkish Navy Aviation
Command), but equipped with Italy-specifi c
avionics and lacking the equipment for the
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission. In
its place Italy’s aircraft will have a series
of systems aimed at turning the aircraft
into a multi-role platform for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
and command, control, communication,
computers and intelligence missions.
The fi rst P-72A (test serial CSX62279),
produced by the factory at Naples-
Capodichino, arrived at Turin-Caselle in
green confi guration for fi tting out in July
2014, and fl ew for the fi rst time in complete
confi guration on April 1, 2016. The delivery
of the fi rst two aircraft, in initial operational
capability (IOC) confi guration, took place on
November 25, 2016, while delivery of the two
following units, in full operational capability
(FOC) confi guration, is underway. The thirdP-72s at Sigonella
Riccardo Niccoli reports on the progress of Italy’s new
maritime patrol aircraft, the Leonardo-Finmeccanica P-72AP-72A MM.62298/41-03 just after its delivery to 41°
Stormo. The fi rst two aircraft, 41-01 and 41-02, remain at
Leonardo’s Turin plant undergoing work to full operational
capability confi guration. Troupe Azzurra/Aeronautica Militare