Sigonella Air Base (Naval Air Station Sigonella)

Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella is located in Lentini, Sicily, 15 kilometers west and 11 kilometers south of Catania. The facility was established following a June 1957 agreement between Italy and the United States to relocate U.S. Navy operations from Malta. Construction began in 1958 on the site of a World War II-era airfield, and the base was formally established as a Naval Air Facility on June 15, 1959. It was redesignated as a Naval Air Station in the 1980s and named Aeroporto "Cosimo Di Palma" in 1983. In October 1985, the base was the site of a military standoff between U.S. and Italian authorities regarding the jurisdiction of individuals involved in the hijacking of the Achille Lauro.

The base is under the military and administrative control of the Italian Air Force. It serves as the home station for the Italian 41º Stormo Antisom. The U.S. Navy installation is a tenant on the facility, supporting U.S. 6th Fleet operations and serving as a transit point for airlift aircraft bound for Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean. The base hosts more than 40 U.S. commands, including a Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, a U.S. Naval Hospital, and a security command. It also serves as the operational site for the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force.

Infrastructure is divided into two primary areas. NAS I functions as a support facility with administrative offices, a school system, and housing. NAS II contains the airfield operations and the majority of tenant commands. The Defense Depot Sigonella Italy provides regional supply, fuel, and property disposal services. Aircraft operating from the base include Italian ATR 72MP maritime patrol aircraft and NATO RQ-4D Phoenix remotely piloted aircraft. The airfield hosts squadrons of U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidons, C-2 Greyhounds, and C-40A Clippers. It also supports U.S. Air Force C-130, C-17, and C-5 airlifters, as well as KC-135 and KC-10 tankers.