The first delivery of an F-35 outside the United States happened December 3 at the F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in Cameri Italy.  The first Italian F-35A Lightning II, known as AL-1, to the Italian armed forces, marked a production milestone for Italy’s national defense and aerospace industry.

“When Leonardo DaVinci first envisioned human flight as an Italian creation, there is no way he could have imagined what we have here today,” said Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 Joint Program Executive Officer.  “The F-35 aircraft built here in Cameri will take flight on the wings of Italian craftsmanship, ingenuity, and skill and will help build the first global fleet of fifth generation fighters.”