Italy Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini said on Wednesday that the government intends to confirm its F-35 fighter jet investment programme.

“Renewing our fleet is a need that cannot be postponed,” Guerini, a member of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), said in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.

“I can assure you that Italy’s participation in the F-35 programme meets the objectives of effectiveness and efficiency of the military instrument,” he said.

Luigi Di Maio, leader of the co-ruling 5-Star Movement, said last year that F-35 fighter jets were not a priority for the country and that the programme had to be reviewed in 2019.

source reuters.com