Italy retired its last full-fledged maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft the Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic back in 2017. Eight years later, it seems to have realized how significant that capability gap was. Now, the country is launching the M3A (Maritime Multi-Mission Aircraft) program to finally restore those critical roles.
According to the Multi-Year Defense Program Document for 2025–2027, Italy plans to acquire six aircraft capable of performing anti-ship, anti-submarine, surface surveillance, and mine countermeasure missions. Notably, this is a joint initiative between the Italian Air Force and Navy.
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The largest portion of funding €562 million has already been allocated for 2025, indicating that an official decision and procurement may come soon. This also underscores how high a priority the project is, as Rome appears determined not to delay it any further.
At present, Italy operates four P-72A (ATR-72MP) maritime patrol aircraft, but these are better suited for peacetime missions and limited largely to surface surveillance tasks. They once complemented the aging Atlantics, but now must carry the full burden of maritime patrol operations.
As for a replacement, the obvious option would be the U.S.-made P-8A Poseidon, already chosen by several NATO members Germany among the most recent. The Poseidon boasts excellent performance and a broad weapons suite, including long-range anti-ship missiles.
However, Italy is also reportedly considering a more intriguing alternative Japan's Kawasaki P-1. Unlike most competitors, the P-1 was designed from scratch specifically for maritime patrol, much like the original Atlantic.
For a maritime nation like Italy, restoring strong anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities is vital especially amid todays turbulence in the Mediterranean, where russian naval activity remains a concern. The key question is which aircraft Italy will choose and how long it will take before they finally enter service.
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