Italy’s government is seeking parliamentary approval for another €7.28 billion ($8.17 billion) in F-35 spending, a move that would lift the planned program cost by more than 50% from its original budget.
A parliamentary document puts the program’s initial budget at €13.5 billion when it was approved in 2009. The proposed funding would bring planned spending to €20.8 billion.
The government said it recalculated the estimate to account for price growth and currency shifts, alongside aircraft updates and tighter security requirements.
The parliamentary document schedules the additional investment to start in 2027 and extend through 2039.
