The first F-35A Lightning II was rolled out of the Final Assembly and Check Out, or FACO, facility in Cameri, Italy, in ceremonies on 12 March 2015. This aircraft, the first of eight aircraft currently being assembled in the new facility, is the first F-35A for the Aeronautica Militare, or Italian Air Force. First flight of this F-35 is expected later this year. The Italian FACO is owned by the Italian Ministry of Defense and is operated by Alenia Aermacchi in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. More than 750 skilled personnel are currently engaged in F-35 aircraft and wing production. The FACO will build all Italian F-35A and F-35B aircraft and is programmed to build F-35As for the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
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