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The Italian F-35B has just demonstrated something that usually goes unnoticed. A 25 mm cannon mounted under the aircraft's fuselage. Italy is reportedly the first export operator to have this system visually confirmed. But why does a stealth fighter need an external gun at all? The aircraft was photographed landing at Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia on September 30, 2026, with a 25 mm GPU-9/A cannon.
The purchase itself has been long-awaited, but this is the first known visual confirmation of the container being used by an F-35 operator outside the United States. The location of the event is also interesting. Decimomannu is located near the Although it remains unclear whether the aircraft conducted combat firings or participated in operational tests. Unlike the F-35A, the F-35B does not have an internal 25mm cannon. Instead, it uses a GPU-9/A external pod that houses a 25mm quad-barrel GAU-22/A Gatling gun.
This weapon gives the F-35B a close-range gun option for situations where a missile may not be the best choice, and for Italy this could become increasingly relevant. The Italian Air Force already uses the F-35 for NATO rapid response missions and domestic tasks, while replacing its AV-8B Plus Harriers with the F-35B. The 22/A can reportedly fire at a rate of up to 3,300 rounds per minute, providing the aircraft with a powerful close-quarters weapon. But the container holds only 220 rounds, significantly less than the ammunition of some of the aircraft it replaces. This means that the cannon is useful, but is hardly an unlimited source of firepower. There is also another potential role. The Aviationist suggests that Italy could use the
cannon to combat UAVs, where using an expensive air-to- air missile against a cheap drone is not economically feasible. But there is a nuance. The F-35B was designed with low visibility in mind, while the gun is mounted externally. Although the container is shaped to reduce its impact, it is believed to increase the effective scattering area of the aircraft compared to the clean configuration. So Italy gets the gun, but probably at the cost of some loss of stealth advantages. It still remains unclear whether the Italian F-35Bs conducted actual combat firings from this system. Then the main question arises: is this 25 mm gun worth such a compromise? For the F-35B, it provides another close combat option, but with limited ammunition and potential damage to stealth
characteristics. So, is the gun pod a useful backup weapon for the F-35B, or is it a compromise that costs too much? That's all for today. Thank you for watching.
