The Italian Air Force has officially stopped the operational use of AMX attack jets with the ceremony held at Istrana Air Base, northern Italy.
Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare/AM) aircraft, the AMX, codenamed A-11 Ghibli, was designed for ground attack missions.
The development of the AMX commenced in the early 1970s when the Italian Air Force sought a replacement for its F-104G and G.91 fighter-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft was introduced into the Italian Air Force in April 1989.
During that period, the Air Force Materiel Command required more cost-effective and simpler aircraft to provide Close Air Support (CAS) and conduct air interdiction missions on the battlefield. The aircraft can also be utilised for reconnaissance operations, particularly in airspace with lower levels of competition.
A single-engine engine powers the AMX aircraft, which operates at high subsonic speed and reaches Mach 0.85. The aircraft can take off, land on runways shorter than 3,000 feet, and deliver 5,000-pound payloads to targets 200 nautical miles away using a hi-lo-hi attack strategy. In addition to the attack variant, the AMX International consortium also manufactures a tandem seat training version.
Approximately 200 pieces of AMX were manufactured. In addition to the Italian Air Force, the Brazilian Air Force also utilises this aircraft, with a fleet of 51 units.
Italian Air Force Stops A-11 Ghibli Operations
