AMX A-11B Ghibli

Italian manufacturers Aeritalia and Aermacchi, and Brazilian firm Embraer, teamed up to form the AMX International consortium that produced the AMX attack aircraft. It first flew in 1984 and entered service with both the Brazilian and Italian air forces five years later. Italy has regularly employed its AMX fleet on deployed operations, and continues to make use of the type's reconnaissance and close air support capabilities over Afghanistan. There is also a two-seat conversion trainer variant. Italy has recently re-designated the aircraft as the A-11, in the case of the single-seaters, and TA-11 for the two-seaters. The Brazilian Air Force knows the AMX as the A-1.

Now being replaced by variants of the F-35 in Italian Air Force service, its appearance on static at RIAT 2022 will likely be the last time this type appears at a UK airshow before their retirement next year.

Photo Credit: Paul Fiddian