Italy is investigating the disappearance of military aircraft parts worth 17m euros

The missing parts include modules and electronic systems for the Panavia Tornado and AMX fighter aircraft, as well as Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, according to Italian media reports, writes Euronews.com.

Rome's prosecutors and the Office of the State Attorney have put about a dozen people in a registry of suspects for alleged embezzlement, including senior Air Force logistics managers, generals and directors from the contracted foreign company to maintain materials in the Brindisi warehouse.

The parts are not ordinary reserve components, but critical aircraft systems necessary for the safe operation of military aircraft. Usually, they can be traced through military records, inventory codes and NATO protocols.

Investigators are now considering how components subject to strict prosecution procedures may be eliminated from official records before they are physically removed from warehouses.

A key element of the investigation is certificate “out of usage” issued for certain parts after they disappeared from the depots. If the pieces that were still functional were declared consumed only later, it would suggest an organised effort to eliminate their official traceability, investigators said.