Italy Sends Plane to Replace Lost Jet

ROME — A Tornado warplane took off Saturday from Italy to replace an Italian plane lost during a problem-plagued bombing mission, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The missing Tornado was participating Friday in Italy’s first air sortie, and its pilots are listed as missing. One of the squadron’s seven other jets turned back immediately after leaving Saudi Arabia because of mechanical problems, and the other six aborted their missions because weather conditions prevented refueling.

Some Italian politicians and newspapers suggested the Italian forces were not prepared for duty. The daily Corriere Della Sera reported that U.S. officials had expressed concern about the squadron’s readiness, noting that the planes did not join allied training operations and that their role initially was limited to providing air cover for Italian ships.