The first delivery of an F-35 outside the United States occurred in ceremonies at the F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out, or FACO, facility in Cameri, Italy, on 3 December 2015. Lt. Gen. Pasquale Preziosa, Chief of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare or AM) was the keynote speaker. This first aircraft for the AM was flown for the first time at Cameri AB on 7 September. With the acceptance of this aircraft (AM serial number MM7332, tail 32-01) Italy becomes the sixth nation to receive an F-35, joining Australia, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States. Italy’s first two pilots have begun F-35 flight training at Luke AFB, Arizona, where Cameri-built F-35As will be delivered in 2016 to support international pilot training.
