THE Italians will be making their presence felt at this year's Royal International Air Tattoo.
The country's air force has already announced it is sending several aircraft including its top display team, the Frecce Tricolori, but now its army and navy will be making an appearance too.
An Italian Army A129 Mangusta helicopter will be taking part in the flying display. That will be joined on the ground by a Chinook helicopter and several smaller helicopters.
The Italian Navy will add to the Tattoo's static park with an AV-8B Harrier which flies from the country's aircraft carrier. The aircraft is extremely rare in the UK. As well as the noisy Harrier there will also be a Italian Navy Merlin utility helicopter, and an ASH-3H Sea King helicopter.
The Italian aircraft join a long list of aircraft and helicopters from all over the world, from Finland to France and Jordan to Romania.
Earlier this year Tattoo director Tim Prince said he wanted to put the wow factor back into the show. In March the show made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest military airshow while the 535 aircraft that attended in 2003 has officially been recognised as the most at a military airshow.
RIAT takes place at RAF Fairford on July 16 and 17.
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