Gioia

Gioia del Colle. Base for 30 Jupiter IRBM's, 1961-1963.

On early 1958 the United States and Italy agreed in principle on the deployment of two Jupiter IRBM squadrons on Italian soil. Negotiations on the final agreement dragged on in parallel with the training of Italian launch crews at Lackland AFB in the United States. The ten Jupiter flights of three missiles each became operational between 1 April and 10 June 1961. They were dispersed throughout the countryside of the 'heel' of Italy between Taranto and Bari. While the Italians operated the missiles, the 'US finger' remaining on the 'nuclear button'. As part of the secret agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev ending the Cuban missile crisis it was the Jupiter missiles were to be removed from Europe. The last missile was withdrawn in April 1963.

Each of the two Jupiter squadrons in Italy was staffed by 500 officers and men and was organized as five flights of three missiles each.