Decimomannu Air Base (“M.O. Giovanni Farina”) (IATA: DCI, ICAO: LIED) is a strategic Italian Air Force base located about 5 km north of Decimomannu, in the Province of Cagliari on the island of Sardinia. The base sits at an elevation of 30 m and spans a large area shared with several nearby municipalities including Villasor, Decimoputzu, and San Sperate.
Named in honor of Colonel Giovanni Farina, who was awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor, Decimomannu has played a key role in NATO’s aerial training infrastructure. It features two parallel asphalt runways: runway 17L/35R measures approximately 2,990 m, and runway 17R/35L is about 2,611 m long, allowing operations of a wide variety of jet aircraft.
Historically, the base was activated in 1940 and has hosted bomber units during World War II. In the postwar period, it became a major NATO training center, especially noted for its Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) and air-to-air combat instruction. Today, Decimomannu is the home of the Reparto Sperimentale e di Standardizzazione Tiro Aereo (RSSTA), as well as the International Flight Training School (IFTS), which supports advanced training — including for future F-35 pilots.
In recent years, the base has been modernized significantly. The control tower and communications systems were upgraded, and in 2025 a new M800IP® voice communication system went fully operational, improving capabilities for approach control, mission rooms, and the base’s Search & Rescue (SAR) operations. The base also hosted a deployment in 2025 by the German Air Force’s 74th Tactical Air Force Wing, which carried out more than 200 sorties using Eurofighter Typhoons.
Decimomannu is also a planned operational hub for F‑35 aircraft, according to Italy’s 2024–2026 Defense Program. It continues to support year-round training missions, radar operations, and SAR missions via the 80th SAR Group.
The base’s governance includes oversight by the Comando Aeronautica Militare per la Regione Sardegna (CAMRAS), and it hosts broad multi-national activity.