Italy Secretly Deployed Fighters and Air Defense Systems to Protect Middle Eastern Countries

Italy has quietly deployed an air and ground task force to the Middle East to protect its allies in the Persian Gulf from Iranian missile and drone attacks.

The air component is centered around the specially formed Task Force Air – Arabia, according to The Aviationist.

The mission began in the second half of March in response to regional tensions and requests for assistance from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Officially, the group consists of about 400 Italian Air Force personnel deployed across several Gulf countries.

The aviation group is led by a colonel in the Italian Air Force, and its main tasks are airspace surveillance and air defense support.

The fighter component consists of four Eurofighter F-2000A aircraft from the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Radar detection and control are provided by an E-550A CAEW aircraft as part of Task Force Argo.

Transport and evacuation missions are carried out by C-130J and KC-130J aircraft from the Medal Task Force.

A ground-based unit equipped with an AN/TPS-77 radar has been deployed in Kuwait for radar tracking.

King Fahd Air Base in Al-Taif, Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea, was selected as the deployment base for the Italian fighter jets.

In addition to aviation, the Army’s Arabia Operational Group, consisting of approximately 300 military personnel, has been deployed to the region.

According to available data, the force is equipped with a battery of SAMP/T air defense systems, KRONOS radars in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as a Skynex anti-aircraft battery in the UAE.