Huffington Post reports that F-35's to be cut to 45; Aircraft Carrier sold...

Thanks Pietro for the link...

via HP.

The cuts in the spending review could not not lose heart, even on military expenditure. According to early rumors, it is important cuts: there is even talk to divest and sell Garibaldi Italian first aircraft carrier to enter service after the ban imposed by the peace treaties. And to cut spending for the purchase of F35 fighter jets, for which the government wants to halve the level inherited from the past government: 12 but not more than 6 billion to be spent over the course of 12 years. 90 but not more than 45 aircraft, with savings expected to be around half a billion a year.
The idea, then, is not to exit the Joint Strike Fighter , to which Italy contributes actively with Alenia Aermacchi (a Finmeccanica subsidiary in charge of producing the wings of the F35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and assemble). Rather, it is yet to revise downward the number of fighter jets to buy (which at the beginning had to be 131).

Notice the diplomatic wording?  They're not exiting the program, but simply cutting numbers.

More to come I'm sure.  On a sidenote, I have serious questions about a buyer for their light carrier.  I can't think of one country that would be interested in buying it.  MAYBE Brazil.  Maybe.  Perhaps Indonesia.  Either way its future lies in how capable a Helicopter Carrier it will be.