Italy is seeking parliamentary approval to increase planned spending on its F-35 fighter jet programme by €7.28 billion ($8.17 billion), taking the total cost to €20.8 billion, according to a parliamentary document reported by Reuters on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.

The rise lifts the programme's overall cost by more than 50 per cent. The programme was approved in 2009 with a planned budget of €13.5 billion, and the additional funding would bring total spending to €20.8 billion.

The government is seeking approval from parliament for the increase. The new investment is due to begin next year and run through 2039.

Why the cost has risen

The government said the cost revision reflected technological upgrades, stricter security requirements, inflation and changes in the euro-dollar exchange rate. It did not, in the material reported by Reuters, set out a new timetable for a parliamentary vote.

The increase comes as European countries boost defence spending in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and broader security concerns. Italy has pledged to raise military expenditure gradually and to accelerate investment in advanced military capabilities as allies push for stronger European defence.

Italy's planned F-35 fleet

Italy is one of the largest European operators of the F-35, the fifth-generation fighter built by Lockheed Martin. Under plans reported by Defense News, Italy is to add 25 extra F-35 jets — 15 F-35As and 10 F-35Bs — taking its planned fleet to 115 aircraft.

The F-35A is the conventional take-off and landing version, flown by the Italian Air Force. The F-35B is the short take-off and vertical landing version, split between the Italian Air Force and the Italian Navy, including for operations from aircraft carriers.

Italy also hosts a final assembly and check-out facility for the aircraft at Cameri, in northern Italy, which serves Italian and other European buyers. That industrial role has made the programme a significant part of Italy's defence industry as well as its air force.

What happens next

Parliament will now examine the government's request for the extra funding. The scale of the increase — more than half as much again on top of the original 2009 budget — is likely to draw close scrutiny from opposition parties and from parliament's defence committees, which will want to see how the extra money is broken down across aircraft, upgrades, engines, equipment and long-term support.

For now, the figures reported on Tuesday set the scale of the debate: €7.28 billion more, a total of €20.8 billion, and investment running through to 2039.