ROME, — An Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon F-2000 was damaged during an overnight attack on King Fahd Air Base in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia, the Italian Defence Ministry said Friday.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed that the aircraft was parked in a decentralized area of the base when it was hit. No Italian military personnel were involved or injured, and no other vehicles or infrastructure used by Italian forces were damaged.
Crosetto said he followed the situation overnight in contact with General Luciano Portolano, Chief of the Defence Staff. He also requested further assessments from Portolano, Lieutenant General Giovanni Maria Iannucci, commander of the Joint Operational Command, and General Antonio Conserva, Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force. The assessment will examine the security situation, the condition of Italian personnel and possible operational options.
The Italian Defence Ministry has not disclosed the extent of damage to the F-2000 or whether the aircraft remains operational.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
The attack took place as Ta’if and other areas of Saudi Arabia have faced repeated alerts and attacks. Reports on the recent attacks have attributed the strikes to Houthi forces.
The Saudi-led coalition has also reported Houthi launches involving ballistic missiles and drones targeting Ta’if, Abha and Khamis Mushait. The Italian F-2000 was hit while inside the King Fahd base during the overnight attack.
Italy’s Task Force Air-Arabia
Italy has maintained Task Force Air-Arabia at King Fahd Air Base as part of its regional deployment. The Italian Defence Ministry says the task force is involved in air defence and airspace surveillance in support of partner countries in the Gulf. An official Italian Defence Ministry update in September confirmed that the force operates from King Fahd Air Base.
According to Italian Defence Ministry information, the national contingent includes about 400 Air Force personnel deployed across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Its Saudi Arabian component includes several specialized task groups.
The Task Group Typhoon operates four Eurofighter F-2000A aircraft for assigned airspace defence. The Task Group Argo operates an E-550A CAEW aircraft for early warning, aerial surveillance and command-and-control functions. The Task Group Medal uses C-130J/KC-130J aircraft for tactical transport, operational support and possible medical evacuation missions.
Previous damage to Italian aircraft in Kuwait
The incident follows an earlier attack involving Italian aircraft at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Italian Eurofighter F-2000A aircraft have been deployed at Ali Al Salem as part of Task Force Air Kuwait, supporting surveillance and reconnaissance missions under Operation Prima Parthica/Inherent Resolve. The Italian Defence Ministry confirms the presence of Eurofighters and MQ-9A aircraft at the base.
According to the information provided for the March 2026 incident, an Iranian missile and drone attack damaged Italian Eurofighters and destroyed an Italian MQ-9A Reaper. The aircraft damage was caused by fragments, while the MQ-9A was destroyed during the attack. The extent of damage to the Eurofighters and their subsequent operational status has not been fully detailed in the public information available.
The latest incident in Saudi Arabia adds another case of Italian military aircraft being damaged while deployed at a fixed base in the Middle East. For the F-2000 at King Fahd Air Base, Italian authorities are still assessing the damage and possible operational measures.
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