NAS Sigonella
IItaly

US Naval Airbase in Italy on Lockdown

  • 26.02.2025
By

Daniel Orton is an editor on the live news team at Newsweek, based in London, U.K. He was previously a video news editor at the company between 2017 and 2019, before spending several years as a senior video journalist on the social news team at The Wall Street Journal, where he primarily produced short-form and breaking-news videos for the Journal’s X (Twitter) page, with a focus on business, finance and markets. He also produced longer videos for other platforms on a wide range of subjects, from the U.K. royal family’s finances to the cost of tackling climate change. He has also worked for The London Evening Standard, Fox News and Bauer Media.

Daniel Orton

Editor, Live News

A U.S. naval airbase in Sicily, Italy was on lockdown Wednesday morning due to an unspecified situation at an entry control point.

“Due to an ongoing situation at the [Naval Air Station] Sigonella (NAS 2) entry control point, a lockdown/shelter-in-place remains in effect,” said a post on the base’s Facebook page. “Inbound and outbound traffic at the NAS 2 base entry control points is secured.”

Operated by both the U.S. Navy and the Italian Air Force, NAS Sigonella serves as a major logistics hub for U.S. and NATO operations, supporting surveillance, reconnaissance, refueling, and cargo transport missions.

As home to U.S. 6th Fleet assets, the base plays a strategic role in military operations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The base hosts personnel from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force.

NAS Sigonella

FILE – An aircraft seen at NAS Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. Inset: The base’s insignia.
FILE – An aircraft seen at NAS Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. Inset: The base’s insignia.
NAS Sigonella/Facebook

In am email to Newsweek, the NAS Sigonella public affairs office said to “stay tuned” to the base’s social media pages for the most up-to-date information.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated