Istalia

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AF-52 "Tuono" investigation closed, but project continues to be controversial

The Milona Prosecutor's Office finds no irregularities, but between explosive costs, political controversy, and production delays, the fighter's future remains turbulent

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Month 5657

MILONA - The Milona Prosecutor's Office has officially closed the investigation opened in recent months into the AF-52 "Tuono" program, the new air superiority fighter developed by Ajace Aeronautics. Investigators found no irregularities in the conduct of Ajace Aeronautics or the Air Force General Staff, and have therefore ordered the closure of the file opened in recent months.

But while the justice system has closed the investigation, the controversy surrounding the project has not subsided. Indeed, political and technical concerns are multiplying: research and development costs continue to soar, while estimates for series production make the AF-52 one of the most expensive fighters ever designed in Istalia. And already, internal Air Force sources are leaking that maintenance costs will also be significantly higher than those of other models currently in service.

The criticism, however, isn't just coming from the opposition. Even within the majority led by Valeriano Giunio's National Liberal Party, there is growing discontent. Concerned murmurs and irritated comments are being raised by government partners, who are beginning to call the project a "billion-lire black hole". Some Allied forces parliamentarians are openly speaking of an uncontrolled drift that risks draining resources from key areas of public spending.

The management of the relationship between Ajax and the State is also the subject of harsh bipartisan criticism: according to several observers, the company has passed on to the public not only the costs of developing the fighter, but also those related to the construction and modernization of industrial facilities. The company denied this accusation by pointing to clauses contained in the preliminary contracts signed during the Monaldi governments, at the height of post-war reconstruction. These agreements explicitly stipulated that the state would also cover production-related costs, with a view to a strategic industrial revitalization. This justification is now considered anachronistic by many in Parliament, and the opposition is also attacking the government's smaller partners, guilty of having given carte blanche to the PNL and Giunio and of having committed such an "oversight".

The situation was further complicated by the news that AUDISS-Leonardi Turbomotors, responsible for producing engines for the AF-52, announced that there could be delays in supplies. This is a further blow to a program that, despite its initial ambitions and judicial acquittal, continues to be the subject of intense controversy and growing doubts about its actual strategic value compared to its costs.

While the Ministry of Defense continues to defend the project's strategic importance and confirms the goal of its full operational readiness by the end of the decade, it remains to be seen whether the political storm and industrial uncertainties will ultimately redefine the timelines, costs, and ambitions of what was meant to symbolize the new technological face of the Istalian armed forces.