In Nordic first, Sweden to send fighter pilots for training in Italy

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated when the U.S. and Sweden signed a defense cooperation agreement to strengthen their military ties. The deal was inked Dec. 5.

MILAN — Sweden will be the first Nordic nation to send more than 100 of its military pilots to train in Italy starting next year, marking a new milestone in the two European countries’ defense cooperation.

The announcement followed the Dec. 4 signature of a 10-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 next decade, the flight training of more than 100 Swedish pilots and a dozen of instructors will be handed over to the Italian air service, with the first batch arriving in the country next month.

Their training process will be stretched across two different sites, with the first stage taking place at the Galatina Air Base in Lecce and the following ones at the International Flight Training School in Sardinia.

“This is a further significant step for the safety of European skies: Finding agreements and synergies between countries that share spaces and orientations is always productive,” Goretti said. “Working with Swedish colleagues will represent a growth opportunity for both countries.”

The International Flight Training School 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 such as the F-35, Eurofighter and Gripen.

Sweden joins a list of countries that have opted to train their pilots at the school, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Canada, Austria and the United Kingdom.

Sweden, which is still waiting for approval to join NATO, has had a circuitous history regarding the next-generation fighter aircraft it intends to buy or develop. In 2019, it first joined a U.K.-led program as an observer, only to withdraw from it a few years later.

While Stockholm’s neighbors have chosen the F-35, a Swedish decision on the path toward a next-gen fighter is still years away, Aviation Week reported in July. The backbone of the country’s Air Force is currently composed of Saab’s Gripen E aircraft.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Sweden signed a defense cooperation agreement to strengthen their military ties on Dec. 5.

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