In 1949, five years after the Second World War, Italy became one of the founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In an attempt to modernize the aging Italian Air Force, Aeronautica Militare, the United States sent outdated or surplus equipment to countries like Italy under the MDA (Mutual Defense Act). As a result, Italy received around 100 P-47s. The P-47D-30 was essentially a P-47D-28 with minor improvements and dive brakes.

Introduced in Update "Sky Guardians", the P-47D-30 (Italy) is a very strong fighter and capable in the ground attack role. Like many American propeller aircraft in WW2, the D-30 utilized water injection to increase power for a limited amount of time. In-game, this translates to an exceptional top speed of 714 km/h (443.7 mph). Although the Thunderbolt is quite sluggish, its superior top speed and high-speed handling make it a potent aircraft for dealing with enemy fighters. The P-47D-30 also has access to a multitude of ground attack loadouts which greatly increase its capability against tanks and pillboxes. It also has a very large ammo pool which allows for 34 seconds of firing time: more than enough to attack soft ground targets like anti-air or machine gun positions.