Italy’s bid for autonomy in foreign and defence policy. Evidence from the aerospace sector

While Italian foreign policy has remained firmly rooted in its Atlanticist and Europeanist orientations, it has also displayed a growing aspiration for autonomy since the 1980s. This trend has been widely recognised in the literature, yet most analyses have focused on diplomacy, with limited attention to defence policy. This article addresses that gap by investigating whether Italy’s pursuit of autonomy extends to the military domain. It argues that Italy has progressively developed a defence posture aligned with its broader foreign policy ambitions, particularly through strategic procurement decisions. Despite significant systemic and domestic changes in the period under consideration, Italy’s defence choices – especially in high-end military aviation – reveal a surprisingly consistent trajectory aimed at enhancing operational and technological autonomy. Drawing on a focused analysis of three major procurement programmes (Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35, and the Global Combat Air Programme), the article offers a novel contribution to the understanding of autonomy in Italian defence policy and its relationship to broader international positioning.