Tom Kington

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.


  • Finmeccanica CEO Addresses Company’s Debt
    Finmeccanica CEO Addresses Company’s Debt

    In a frank speech about the Italian group’s problems, Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti said he had his work cut out as he undertakes a rationalization program.

  • Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US
    Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US

    The first joint strike fighter assembled outside the US rolled off an assembly line in Italy on Thursday, Lockheed Martin said in a statement

  • Rolls Hones Pitch for Italian Ships’ Engines
    Rolls Hones Pitch for Italian Ships’ Engines

    UK-based Rolls-Royce has confirmed it will compete to supply propulsion for Italy’s new €5.4 billion (US $6.13 billion) naval shipbuilding program, and has opened the bidding by promising to beat US rival General Electric on life-cycle costs.

  • Italian AF First To Buy HammerHead UAV
    Italian AF First To Buy HammerHead UAV

    The Italian Air Force will be the launch customer of the P.1HH HammerHead UAV, its manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace said.

  • Finmeccanica Sells Rail Units
    Finmeccanica Sells Rail Units

    Four years after it announced its intention to get out of the rail business, Finmeccanica said on Tuesday it had signed to sell its rolling stock and signals units, cutting its debt by 15 percent and leaving it as a dedicated defense, security and aerospace company.

  • Peace Prospects Fade as Libya Chaos Deepens
    Peace Prospects Fade as Libya Chaos Deepens

    Fours year on from a NATO air campaign that triggered chaos in Libya, the country has grabbed headlines again as Islamic State fighters make a murderous debut alongside warring militias, rendering the return of stability ever more remote.

  • Italian Army Lays Out Future Vision
    Italian Army Lays Out Future Vision

    The Italian Army has launched a strategy and technology blueprint that stresses the role of civilian emergency operations and gives details of planned helicopter and vehicle procurements

  • Italian Ship Propulsion Competition Kicks Off
    Italian Ship Propulsion Competition Kicks Off

    Competition is gearing up to supply propulsion systems to the Italian Navy’s new multifunctional vessels, just as some accounting changes by the Italian government means 10 rather than six vessels may be ordered.

  • DRS Sale Part of Finmeccanica’s ‘Turnaround’
    DRS Sale Part of Finmeccanica’s ‘Turnaround’

    Italy’s Finmeccanica is seeking a partner to help run its US-based electronics unit DRS, and also plans to sell off activity at DRS worth €200 million (US $225 million) in revenue in a bid to push the firm back to profitability.

  • Greece Warned Against Further Defense Cuts
    Greece Warned Against Further Defense Cuts

    Experts have warned Greece’s new, radical left wing government not to make further cuts to the country’s defense budget, claiming there is very little left to trim following years of biting economic downturn.

  • Finmeccanica CEO Addresses Company’s Debt
    Finmeccanica CEO Addresses Company’s Debt

    In a frank speech about the Italian group’s problems, Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti said he had his work cut out as he undertakes a rationalization program.

  • Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US
    Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US

    The first joint strike fighter assembled outside the US rolled off an assembly line in Italy on Thursday, Lockheed Martin said in a statement

  • Rolls Hones Pitch for Italian Ships’ Engines
    Rolls Hones Pitch for Italian Ships’ Engines

    UK-based Rolls-Royce has confirmed it will compete to supply propulsion for Italy’s new €5.4 billion (US $6.13 billion) naval shipbuilding program, and has opened the bidding by promising to beat US rival General Electric on life-cycle costs.

  • Italian AF First To Buy HammerHead UAV
    Italian AF First To Buy HammerHead UAV

    The Italian Air Force will be the launch customer of the P.1HH HammerHead UAV, its manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace said.

  • Finmeccanica Sells Rail Units
    Finmeccanica Sells Rail Units

    Four years after it announced its intention to get out of the rail business, Finmeccanica said on Tuesday it had signed to sell its rolling stock and signals units, cutting its debt by 15 percent and leaving it as a dedicated defense, security and aerospace company.

  • Peace Prospects Fade as Libya Chaos Deepens
    Peace Prospects Fade as Libya Chaos Deepens

    Fours year on from a NATO air campaign that triggered chaos in Libya, the country has grabbed headlines again as Islamic State fighters make a murderous debut alongside warring militias, rendering the return of stability ever more remote.

  • Italian Army Lays Out Future Vision
    Italian Army Lays Out Future Vision

    The Italian Army has launched a strategy and technology blueprint that stresses the role of civilian emergency operations and gives details of planned helicopter and vehicle procurements

  • Italian Ship Propulsion Competition Kicks Off
    Italian Ship Propulsion Competition Kicks Off

    Competition is gearing up to supply propulsion systems to the Italian Navy’s new multifunctional vessels, just as some accounting changes by the Italian government means 10 rather than six vessels may be ordered.

  • DRS Sale Part of Finmeccanica’s ‘Turnaround’
    DRS Sale Part of Finmeccanica’s ‘Turnaround’

    Italy’s Finmeccanica is seeking a partner to help run its US-based electronics unit DRS, and also plans to sell off activity at DRS worth €200 million (US $225 million) in revenue in a bid to push the firm back to profitability.

  • Greece Warned Against Further Defense Cuts
    Greece Warned Against Further Defense Cuts

    Experts have warned Greece’s new, radical left wing government not to make further cuts to the country’s defense budget, claiming there is very little left to trim following years of biting economic downturn.

  • Finmeccanica CEO Addresses Company’s Debt
    Finmeccanica CEO Addresses Company’s Debt

    In a frank speech about the Italian group’s problems, Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti said he had his work cut out as he undertakes a rationalization program.

  • Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US
    Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US

    The first joint strike fighter assembled outside the US rolled off an assembly line in Italy on Thursday, Lockheed Martin said in a statement

  • Rolls Hones Pitch for Italian Ships’ Engines
    Rolls Hones Pitch for Italian Ships’ Engines

    UK-based Rolls-Royce has confirmed it will compete to supply propulsion for Italy’s new €5.4 billion (US $6.13 billion) naval shipbuilding program, and has opened the bidding by promising to beat US rival General Electric on life-cycle costs.

  • Italian AF First To Buy HammerHead UAV
    Italian AF First To Buy HammerHead UAV

    The Italian Air Force will be the launch customer of the P.1HH HammerHead UAV, its manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace said.

  • Finmeccanica Sells Rail Units
    Finmeccanica Sells Rail Units

    Four years after it announced its intention to get out of the rail business, Finmeccanica said on Tuesday it had signed to sell its rolling stock and signals units, cutting its debt by 15 percent and leaving it as a dedicated defense, security and aerospace company.

  • Peace Prospects Fade as Libya Chaos Deepens
    Peace Prospects Fade as Libya Chaos Deepens

    Fours year on from a NATO air campaign that triggered chaos in Libya, the country has grabbed headlines again as Islamic State fighters make a murderous debut alongside warring militias, rendering the return of stability ever more remote.

  • Italian Army Lays Out Future Vision
    Italian Army Lays Out Future Vision

    The Italian Army has launched a strategy and technology blueprint that stresses the role of civilian emergency operations and gives details of planned helicopter and vehicle procurements

  • Italian Ship Propulsion Competition Kicks Off
    Italian Ship Propulsion Competition Kicks Off

    Competition is gearing up to supply propulsion systems to the Italian Navy’s new multifunctional vessels, just as some accounting changes by the Italian government means 10 rather than six vessels may be ordered.

  • DRS Sale Part of Finmeccanica’s ‘Turnaround’
    DRS Sale Part of Finmeccanica’s ‘Turnaround’

    Italy’s Finmeccanica is seeking a partner to help run its US-based electronics unit DRS, and also plans to sell off activity at DRS worth €200 million (US $225 million) in revenue in a bid to push the firm back to profitability.

  • Greece Warned Against Further Defense Cuts
    Greece Warned Against Further Defense Cuts

    Experts have warned Greece’s new, radical left wing government not to make further cuts to the country’s defense budget, claiming there is very little left to trim following years of biting economic downturn.