Acknowledgements: The author thanks CAPT
Massimiliano Buzzoni, CAPT Alex Sirni, Cataldo
Palmisano and Cristina Lanzalaco for their kind
support in preparation of this feature.amphibious forces, helicopters, Harriers
and the forthcoming Lockheed Martin
F-35B Lightning II.Harrier today
Alongside the Spanish Navy and of
course the US Marine Corps, the Italian
Navy is part of a small and exclusive club
of Harrier operators. Unlike Spain, which
doesn’t have a clear Harrier replacement
plan, both the US Marines and the Italian
Navy have opted for the F-35B. Italy will
receive 15 F-35Bs, which will form the
Cavour’s future air wing.
Even though the writing is on the
wall for the Italian Harriers, the pilots
remain fiercely proud of their mounts.
Italy was the first AV-8B+ operator to
push for the AIM-120 AMRAAM, an ideal
accompaniment to the AN/APG-65 radar.
While the Harrier is a proven ground
attacker, carrying the Litening II
targeting pod and the latest 500lb
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM),
clearance to operate as a true multi-role
platform is still lacking. Mixed loads of
air-to-air and air-to-ground stores can becarried, but not released! To circumvent
this temporary inconvenience, the
‘Wolves’ typically fly as four-ships — a
pair for air-to-air, and a pair for air-to-
ground. However, along with Link-16
connectivity, release of a full mixed
loads clearance is expected shortly.
It will transform the Italian Harriers’
twilight years.
‘Wolves’ boss CAPT Alex ‘Borat’ Sirni
says, ‘The sensation of being in control
of an aircraft that is hovering 50ft
above the ground on the exhaust of a
powerful engine is a unique feeling that
only a Harrier pilot knows, and being
able to come back from a long mission,
transition from fast conventional flight
to the hover regime and land vertically
on the exact same spot of a ship every
single time is what every pilot of
the small Harrier community prides
himself in.’Above: A pristine
AV-8B+ with
engine running
out on the airfield
at Grottaglie.
Aside from the
two ‘T-birds’, all
Italian Harriers are
‘radar birds’.
Dr Andreas Zeitler
Right: The Italian
Navy led the way
when it came
to arming the
AV-8B+ with the
‘big stick’ of the
AIM-120 AMRAAM.
Andrea Avian82 April 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
FORCE REPORT // ITALIAN HARRIERS
76-83 Italian Harriers C.indd 82 15/02/2018 13:50