Spare parts worth €17 million disappear from the Aeronautica Militare; investigation reaches senior officers

Italy is investigating the disappearance of military aeronautical materiel valued at approximately €17 million, originating from a Aeronautica Militare depot in Brindisi. What began as an administrative issue has rapidly escalated into a judicial case, involving both civilian and military prosecutors.

According to the ongoing investigation, around 2,500 aeronautical components appear to have left the logistics system without clear justification. These were not generic items, but critical avionics equipment and modules associated with the Tornado, the AMX, and the C-130 Hercules.

One of the most striking aspects of the case is that the AMX has already been withdrawn from service in Italy. The Aeronautica Militare officially retired the type in 2024, reinforcing the hypothesis that part of the material declared “out of use” may have been diverted by exploiting its formal removal from inventory, without any real operational requirement to justify its disappearance.

The AMX, however, has not vanished entirely from the operational landscape. While Italy has retired the aircraft, the type remains in active service with the Força Aérea Brasileira. This helps explain why certain spare parts and avionics modules continue to hold real value on the international market, particularly for fleets that still depend on certified inventories.

These are systems that, even within ageing fleets, retain high operational and logistical value—especially for countries that continue to operate these platforms or are managing a transition away from them.

At the core of the case is not only the physical loss of material, but the breakdown of traceability. One of the main hypotheses is that part of the equipment was administratively reclassified as non-operational or obsolete, allowing it to be removed from official inventories before actually disappearing.

In a military environment—where every component has a serial number, a history, and a documented chain of custody—this aspect is particularly sensitive.

The investigation reportedly involves around a dozen individuals, including logistics officials, senior officers, and personnel linked to external companies involved in maintenance or materiel management.

There are, for now, no convictions or definitive conclusions. However, the mere fact that generals are under investigation gives a clear indication of the seriousness of the affair.

The international trail

Some reports suggest that part of the components may have left Italy, with South America—including Brazil—emerging as a possible destination. This is not idle speculation: a secondary market for certified military spare parts does exist. It is opaque, highly specialised, and involves significant sums, particularly when original production lines have long been shut down.

The case raises uncomfortable questions about the real inviolability of logistics control systems, what happens to critical materiel as fleets age, and to what extent the spare parts market can become a risk vector.

At a time when Europe is openly discussing strategic autonomy, industrial sustainment, and military resilience, the disappearance of certified equipment from within an allied air force is more than a one-off scandal.

This case sits at the intersection of logistics, industrial control, and institutional responsibility. Its outcome will help shape how military assets are managed—and protected—during periods of transition and sustained budgetary pressure.