On March 15, 2026, a drone strike targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, destroying an Italian MQ-9A Predator aircraft housed in a shelter, according to Italy’s Chief of the Defense General Staff, General Luciano Portolano. No Italian personnel were injured in the attack.
The base, which hosts Italian and U.S. forces, supports Italy’s Task Force Air Kuwait under Operation Prima Parthica, part of the anti-ISIS coalition’s Operation Inherent Resolve. From there, Italian MQ-9A Predators and Eurofighter Typhoon jets perform surveillance, reconnaissance, and data-collection missions over Iraq. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto noted that troop numbers had been reduced prior to the strike due to worsening security, with only essential staff remaining. Portolano emphasized the aircraft’s role in maintaining operational continuity.
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, operated by Italy, features a 66-foot wingspan, Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine producing 900 shaft horsepower, and a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet. It cruises at 200-230 mph with a 1,150-mile range and carries up to 3,800 pounds of payload, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II bombs, and GBU-38 JDAMs. Equipped with AN/DAS-1 MTS-B multi-spectral targeting, synthetic aperture radar, and communications relay, it excels in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strikes.
Wikipedia attributes the strike to an Iranian drone, aligning with reports of escalating regional tensions, including prior attacks on Italian and French positions in Iraq.