F-104S "NODA 45" Nucleo Operativo Difesa Aerea (NODA) - Air Defence Operational Cell - at Decimomannu AB 1984

F-104S, construction number 783-1048, serial number MM6748, model 783, built by Aeritalia at Turin-Caselle
delivery date AMI 13.4.71; 36-34 156°Gruppo CIO July 1971; damaged July 11, 1973 at Gioia del Colle AB; Aeritalia for repair in 1974; 5-21 05.1975-1976; IRAN till 2.5.1977
delivery date 156°Gruppo 2.5.1977; 36-40 04.1978-29.4.1981; IRAN 29.4.1981-11.3.1982; delivery date 11.3.1982, 36-45 03.1982-29.7.1982
NODA 45 10.1983-11.1.1985; delivery date Trapani 8.6.1984; 37-45 28.3.1985-5.7.1985; IRAN + F-104S ASA conversion 6.5.1986-10.11.1987
delivery date 18°Gruppo 10.11.1987; 37-14 08.1988-08.1990
37-14 18°Gruppo CIO crashed August 7, 1990 into hills near Cesaro, Sicily on a navigation flight from Gioia Del Colle to Trapani, the pilot ejected but died of his injuries
written off; Sigonella dump January 1991 last noted.

copyright @ Dietmar Fenners

With the constitution of the NODA (Nucleo Operativo Difesa Aerea - Air Defence Operational Cell) at Gioia del Colle in September 1984
the potential to resurrect the 18° was identified. Initially this unit was formed by F-104S aircraft of the 156°Gruppo C.B.
(Caccia Bombardieri - Fighter Bomber), which was converting onto the new Tornado IDS.
The aircraft featured, besides the NODA titles, the badge with the three white flashes of the 18°, and in June 1984 the NODA assumed its new denomination.
On 28 March 1985, just a few months after its re-constitution, the 18° Gruppo was presented with its Bandiera di Guerra (standard).