Fiat G.91

The Fiat G.91 is a jet fighter aircraft designed and built by the Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione, which later merged into Aeritalia. The G.91 has its origins in the NATO-organised NBMR-1 competition started in 1953, which sought a light fighter-bomber (officially, the competition was seeking a "Light Weight Strike Fighter") to be adopted as standard equipment across the air forces of the various NATO nations. The G.91 was specifically designed to fulfil the requirements of this competition, being relatively lightweight and capable of operating from austere airstrips while also being armoured and suitably armed while remaining relatively affordable in comparison to many frontline fighters. On 9 August 1956, the prototype conducted its maiden flight. After reviewing multiple submissions, the G.91 was picked as the winning design of the NBMR-1 competition. During 1961, the G.91 entered into operational service with the Italian Air Force, and with the West German Luftwaffe in the following year. Various other nations adopted it, such as the Portuguese Air Force, who made extensive use of the type during the Portuguese Colonial War in Angola and Mozambique. The G.91 remained in production for 19 years, during which a total of 756 aircraft were completed, including the prototypes and pre-production models. The assembly lines were finally closed in 1977. The G.91 was also used as a basis for a twin-engined derivative: the Fiat/Aeritalia G.91Y. The G.91 had a relatively lengthy service life, outlasting the Cold War and being finally withdrawn in 1995. It was displaced by newer types such as the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet and the Aermacchi MB-326.