AFM visited the 36° Stormo to assess the Ty p h o o n ’s new swingrole capabilit y with the Italian Air Force. Riccardo Niccoli reports from Gioia del Colle.
SWING-ROLE T YPHOON
36° Stormo F-2000

From the outset, the Eurofighter Typhoon’s development path has included integrating an air-to-surface capability alongside the basic air-toair mission. This was not simply to align with British and German air arm requirements but intended to exploit the jet’s potential and win orders on the international market. Today’s Typhoon is recognised as a mature aircraft, able to excel in the air superiority role and other missions, including long-range attack and close air support (CAS).