Leonardo’s M-346 to become Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori’s future aircraft
Istrana (Treviso), 12 September 2024 – During an official ceremony held today in Istrana by the Italian Air Force, which marked the return of the Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team from their American tour, an M-346 jet with Frecce Tricolori’s livery was unveiled. Therefore announcing that Leonardo’s cutting-edge jet trainer will be the future aircraft of Italy’s National Aerobatic Team.
The M-346 chosen by the Air Force for Italy’s National Aerobatic Team is considered to be the world’s most advanced trainer. With the sale of 126 planes worldwide, the aircraft has already logged more than 125,000 flight hours. Moreover, it recently achieved success as the backbone of the International Flight Training School in Decimomannu, Sardinia – an outstanding advanced training institute for Italian and international military pilots. The school was established as the result of Leonardo’s partnership with the Italian Air Force, which has become a global landmark for training pilots flying new-generation fighter planes.
The M-346 is a transonic twin-engine, tandem-seat aircraft offering advanced performance and great manoeuvrability, ideally taking the Frecce Tricolori into a new era with a latest-generation aircraft featuring fully digital flight controls and avionics, a fly-by-wire flight control system with quadruple redundancy, and a highly advanced Human-Machine Interface.
The M-346’s transonic twin-engine jet solution allows a high level of cost-effective performance in training, with a greater level of safety.
The Leonardo aircraft is the fulcrum of a highly complex training system based on the latest flight simulation technologies. Calling the M-346 an augmented reality would be an understatement. The key elements of the system are: an Embedded Tactical Training System (ETTS) which allows the M-346 to emulate a fighter plane’s sensors and armaments; a Ground Based Training System (GBTS) consisting of various flight and mission simulation systems, multimedia and classroom courses, mission planning and training management systems; and an Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) service that optimises fleet and simulator management for optimal operational use.
The final feature that has made Leonardo a leader in flight training technology is the synthesis of “real and virtual” environments, which allows pilots to operate simultaneously – and in combination – in LVC mode: Live (real flight), Virtual (with various types of simulators) and Constructive (all kinds of forces and threats generated by a computer). This capability will represent the most complex operating scenarios, with multiple aircraft operating in a network, independently on whether the pilots are actually in flight or on board a flight simulator on the ground.
The M-346 is already in service with the air forces of Italy, the Republic of Singapore, Israel, Poland, Qatar and Greece. Turkmenistan and Nigeria have also chosen it as a light fighter, while a growing list of other countries, including Canada, the UK, Germany, Japan, Austria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the Netherlands, are sending their pilots to Italy for advanced training on the Leonardo M-346 at the International Flight Training School in Decimomannu.
The version of the M-346 presented in Istrana today will be produced by Leonardo for the National Aerobatic Team with specific requirements of the Italian Air Force.
The M-346 originated out of Leonardo’s tradition of leadership making trainers, with over 70 years of experience and a variety of models designed and sold, totalling more than 2,000 aircraft, exported to more than 40 countries worldwide. 2
Leonardo is already working on the aircraft’s new Block 20 configuration introducing new digital functions and AI to maintain the M-346’s position as top performer in future military pilot training scenarios.
The process of renewal for air defence technologies combined with today’s emerging trends demand constant use of the most advanced solutions. In addition to faster development of new capabilities and technologies which will guarantee training effectiveness, not only for pilots but also for in-flight and ground crews, of key importance for ensuring a prompt response in operation.
The European market for advanced training aircraft foresees a demand for more than 400 new planes over the next 20 years, in addition to an estimated investment worth approximately 12 billion euro in pilot training services.
Photos courtesy Italian Air Force
