ROME \u2014 Italy is spending \u20ac31.3 billion ($36.2 billion) on defense this year, the country\u2019s defense ministry has announced in a long awaited budget document released on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The figure is up 7.2% on last year\u2019s spending of just over \u20ac29 billion, but is set to remain stable in 2026 and 2027, the ministry stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy has come under pressure this year to increase spending, as NATO calls on members to hit 5% of GDP by 2035, up from a previous target of 2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy\u2019s spending last year amounted to only 1.54% of GDP, but Rome promised it would reach two percent in 2025. The new document announces that on top of the regular defense budget, a host of outlays that have been recategorized as defense spending have been added into the ledger, including pension payments and parts of the paramilitary Carabinieri police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the process the \u20ac31.3 billion defense budget rises to \u20ac45.3 billion in spending, enough to qualify for the 2% target, the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The document gives a breakdown on spending this year for each program, but in a departure from tradition does not state the total amount of procurement funding which has been budgeted this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It does say that defense ministry procurement funding will total \u20ac35 billion over the next 15 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the list of programs to be financed this year, there is \u20ac100 million to upgrade Italy\u2019s aging Ariete tanks, \u20ac50 million to continue the development of new Panther tanks with Germany\u2019s Rheinmetall and \u20ac130 million for new Lynx fighting vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the planned Italian F-35 fleet grows from 90 to 115, there are \u20ac735 million for the program and \u20ac625 million for work on the GCAP fighter with the UK and Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italian officials have said they are considering buying the Japanese Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft to tackle hostile submarines in the Mediterranean. Without specifying what platform will be purchased, the document says six will be bought, with an initial \u20ac30 million to kickstart the program in 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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