Regarding the disappearance of almost 2,500 components of aircraft and fighters of the Italian Air Force valued at an estimated 17 million euros, in addition to the criminal investigation, there is also an administrative dispute between the Defense and Avio Aero.
Alongside the investigation by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office and the Military Prosecutor’s Office involving about ten people among Air Force leaders and managers of the company Ge Avio (Avio Aero), a company of the American General Electric group, with the suspicion of embezzlement for this disappearance of strategic parts that occurred between 2021 and 2023 from the Brindisi base, there is also an administrative dispute open.
This is what Il Fatto Quotidiano reveals today, reporting an accounting dispute between Defense and Avio Aero. Specifically, the ministry contested the company led by Riccardo Procacci for a shortfall of almost 6 million euros and forwarded the documentation to the Court of Auditors for evaluations on a possible financial damage, reports the newspaper.
Following the news from Repubblica on February 23 about the investigation launched regarding the disappearance of records and warehouses of two thousand five hundred strategic components of the Panavia Tornado and Amx fighter-bombers, as well as the tactical transport aircraft C-130 Hercules, in service with the Air Force, the opposition party M5S had submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister of Defense to request clarifications on the matter.
For its part, the Air Force immediately declared that it has guaranteed full cooperation with the civil and military judicial authorities since the beginning of the checks, providing the useful documentation. Previously contacted by Startmag, the company Avio Aero did not want to comment on the matter.
All the details.
THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION ON THE MISSING AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT PARTS
As mentioned at the beginning, an investigation is underway into the disappearance of almost 2,500 strategic components belonging to the Panavia Tornado, AMX, and C-130 Hercules aircraft in service with the Air Force, with an estimated value of about 17 million euros. The parts reportedly disappeared between 2021 and 2023 from the Brindisi base.
The investigation, initiated by both the Rome Prosecutor’s Office and the Military Prosecutor’s Office, would involve ten people among generals and logistics leaders of the Air Force and executives of Ge Avio srl. That is Avio Aero, a company controlled by the American multinational GE Aviation and responsible for the maintenance of military aircraft. The alleged crime is embezzlement, related to the appropriation or diversion of public assets entrusted for official reasons.
THE ALLEGED CRIMES
According to what has emerged, the components are no longer present in the warehouses nor in the official registers. Among the hypotheses under investigation is also a possible destination abroad, particularly towards Brazil. Investigators are examining documents, loading and unloading registers, technical certifications, and chains of responsibility to reconstruct the movement of the material.
Records indicate that the parts were declared “out of use” and destined for scrapping, but the certification was drawn up when the material was no longer physically available. The judiciary is assessing whether this is an administrative irregularity or a more structured operation, and a super technical consultancy has been ordered to ascertain the value and actual condition of the missing components.
According to the reconstruction by Fatto Quotidiano, the matter has origins prior to the start of the judicial investigation.
THE ORIGINS OF THE CASE
The first steps date back at least to 2022, when Avio Aero reportedly expressed interest in purchasing some of the components now considered no longer strategic, reconstructs today Il Fatto. In June 2023, the Air Force Logistics Command signed the provision declaring that material “Out of Service,” i.e., no longer usable. However, a few days later, investigations began.
In July 2023, the military judicial authority ordered a sample check. During the inspections, it emerged that some parts were not physically present in the indicated warehouses. Following this verification, the Ministry of Defense launched an internal survey and appointed a technical commission tasked with reconstructing the material’s consistency, the newspaper continues.
THE ESTIMATE OF THE SHORTFALL
“The first estimate, completed in 2024, identifies missing material worth about 17 million euros, calculated based on the inventory value. A figure subsequently revised by the same technicians to 5,868,423 euros, taking into account the condition of the components and their actual economic valuation. This is therefore the sum that the Ministry of Defense formally contests to the company at the beginning of 2025, an act that ended up opening an administrative dispute with the company,” notes Fatto.
According to informal Defense sources cited by the newspaper, Ge-Avio, while not admitting responsibility, has expressed willingness to resolve the matter through a possible settlement. However, no agreement has been formalized at this time.
THE COURT OF AUDITORS CALLED IN
Meanwhile, the technical commission appointed by the ministry has also forwarded the documentation to the Court of Auditors. The accounting magistrates will therefore have to determine whether the matter could result in damage to public funds and whether there are any administrative responsibilities. According to what Fatto writes, the Defense offices’ records indicate a figure of almost 6 million euros in missing military spare parts, according to internal investigations.
AVIO AERO’S POSITION
Until today, the company involved, Avio Aero, has not commented on the matter.
The Italian company led by Riccardo Procacci is part of GE Aerospace and is active in the production of propulsion components and systems for civil and military aviation. The main headquarters is located in Rivalta di Torino, where the company’s largest production facility is also present. Other significant plants are located in Brindisi and Pomigliano d’Arco, in the province of Naples. Overall, the company employs over 4,900 employees in Italy. Abroad, there is a production plant and a test center in Poland and a production plant with engine test rooms in the Czech Republic, for a total of about 1,100 employees.
The Avio Aero plant in Brindisi has about 720 employees and is historically dedicated to the assembly and maintenance of aircraft engines, particularly supporting the Italian Air Force. Activities related to the EJ200 engine of the Eurofighter Typhoon are also carried out at the plant. In the past, the site was also involved in the assembly and maintenance of other engines, such as the Spey installed on AMX aircraft in service with the Brazilian Air Force.
Contacted about the latest developments by Fatto, Avio Aero’s lawyers stated they are not authorized to release statements externally, emphasizing that investigations are ongoing.
What emerged today is that the outlines of the case of the nearly 2,500 avionics components of the Tornado, Amx, and C-130 aircraft that disappeared are expanding into a framework that includes both the criminal investigation and the administrative dispute open between the Ministry of Defense and Ge-Avio.
