MILAN — Sweden will probably be the primary Nordic nation to send over 100 of its military pilots to coach in Italy starting next yr, marking a brand new milestone within the two European countries’ defense cooperation.
The announcement followed the Dec. 4 signature of a ten-year agreement between Gen. Luca Goretti, the chief of staff of the Italian air force, and his Swedish counterpart, Maj, Gen. Jonas Wikman.
The document stipulates that for the subsequent decade, the flight training of greater than 100 Swedish pilots and a dozen of instructors will probably be handed over to the Italian air service, with the primary batch arriving within the country next month.
Their training process will probably be stretched across two different sites, with the primary stage going down on the Galatina air base in Lecce and the next ones on the International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Sardinia.
“That is an extra significant step for the protection of European skies, finding agreements and synergies between countries that share spaces and orientations is all the time productive,” Goretti said. “Working with Swedish colleagues will represent a growth opportunity for each countries.”
The IFTS was born out of a collaboration between the Italian air force and Leonardo, assisted by Canadian simulator manufacturer CAE. It provides advanced fighter training based on the Italian air pilot syllabus and uses the T-346 Integrated Training System, based on a fleet of M-346 advanced jet trainers, to simulate flying a wide-range of aircraft corresponding to the F-35, Eurofighter and the Gripen.
Sweden joins an inventory of nations which have opted to coach their pilots on the IFTS, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Canada, Austria and the UK.
Sweden, which continues to be waiting for approval to hitch NATO, has had a circuitous history regarding the next-generation fighter aircraft it intends to purchase or develop. In 2019, it first joined a UK-led program as an observer only to withdraw from it just a few years later.
While Stockholm’s neighbors have chosen the F-35, a Swedish decision on the trail toward a next-gen fighter continues to be years away, Aviation Week reported in July. The backbone of the country’s air force currently consists of Saab’s Gripen E aircraft.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Sweden signed a defense cooperation agreement to strengthen their military ties on Dec. 6.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a big selection of topics related to military procurement and international security, and makes a speciality of reporting on the aviation sector. She is predicated in Milan, Italy.