Tom Kington
Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.
All Stories By Tom
Combat zone widens in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah escalate attacks
Rather than trying to hold a defensive line, Hezbollah fighters have moved in to strike, then melted away in the hilly terrain they know well.
Back on track: Testing of Piaggio Hammerhead drones resumes a year after crash
Piaggio Aerospace has resumed test flights of its Hammerhead UAV and says it will start deliveries to the UAE in 2018.
Joint Leonardo-BAE munition could triple US Navy gun range
A guided munition that BAE Systems and Italy’s Leonardo are offering the U.S. Navy will triple the range of the Mk 45 guns installed on about 100 Navy vessels, keeping ships out of harm’s way in littoral operations, a BAE official has said.
Leonardo and BAE team on guided munitions, with US market in their sights
BAE Systems and Leonardo have teamed to offer Leonardo’s Vulcano guided munitions to the US Navy, the firms said on Wednesday.
Italy, UK seek F-35 and Typhoon synergies
Two nations fly both the F-35 and the Eurofighter. And both have been working hard this year to establish roadmaps for getting the aircraft to operate together.
Campaign talk? Fincantieri hangs tight after French president orders review of shipyard takeover
The speech slammed the brakes on ambitions by Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono to make Fincantieri and STX France the foundations of a “naval Airbus” — an integrated European shipbuilding capacity.
Exec who was touted to become Leonardo's new CEO leaves firm
A senior manager and longtime employee has left Italy’s Leonardo shortly after the confirmation of the firm’s new CEO, Alessandro Profumo, according to Italian news reports.
EU source: Emirates’ militarization of Gulf of Africa risks blowback
A senior European diplomat has warned the growing military presence of the United Arab Emirates in the Horn of Africa could prompt conflict in the region and add to massive migration towards Europe as well as create extremism and a threat to European trade routes.
Italy's anti-establishment Five Star party would scrap F-35 program
“There will be no ifs or buts about leaving the F-35 program,” said Tatiana Basilio, a Five Star member of the Italian parliament during a presentation of the party’s defense manifesto on Thursday.
Italy rolls out first F-35B assembled outside US
The first F-35B to be assembled outside the U.S. was rolled out in Italy on Friday at a ceremony at the country’s assembly line, attended by the country’s top military brass.
