As part of the ceremony organized by the Italian Air Force on the occasion of the return of the Frecce Tricolori from their American tour, an M-346 jet aircraft in the Frecce Tricolori livery was presented today in Istrana, effectively announcing that Leonardo's advanced trainer will be the future aircraft of the National Aerobatic Team (PAN).
The M-346 chosen by the Italian Air Force for the PAN is today considered the most advanced training aircraft on the international market. It has over 125.000 flight hours under its belt, 126 aircraft sold globally and the recent success as the backbone of the International Flight Training School in Decimomannu, Sardinia, the school of excellence for the training of national and international military pilots, born from the collaboration between Leonardo and the Italian Air Force and today a global reference for the training of pilots who fly the latest generation fighters.
The M-346 is a twin-engine, two-seater transonic jet aircraft, characterised by high performance and high manoeuvring capabilities that make it the most suitable solution to lead the Frecce Tricolori into a new era, thanks to a latest-generation aircraft, with fully digital flight controls and avionics, a fly-by-wire flight control system with quadruple redundancy and a modern human-machine interface. The M-346 transonic twin-engine jet solution is also the one that in the training context allows a high level of performance associated with cost-effectiveness, and the highest degree of safety.
Leonardo's aircraft is the heart of a much more complex training system based on the most modern simulation technologies: to call it augmented reality is almost reductive. The main elements are: an integrated on-board system for the simulation of tactical training (ETTS - Embedded Tactical Training System), which allows the M-346 to emulate fighter sensors and armaments; the GBTS (Ground Based Training System) ground training segment - composed of various simulation, flight and mission systems - multimedia and classroom courses, mission planning and training management systems; an integrated logistics support service (ILS - Integrated Logistic Support) that optimizes the management of fleets and simulators to allow maximum operability. Finally, a feature of the training system that positions Leonardo as a leader in this technology is the synthesis between “real and virtual”, which allows pilots to operate simultaneously - and in a combined manner - in LVC mode: Live (real flight), Virtual (the various types of simulators) and Constructive (any type of force/threat generated by the computer). This capability allows the reproduction of the most complex operational scenarios, networking multiple aircraft regardless of whether the pilots are in flight or on a 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 the list of other countries such as Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the Netherlands that send their pilots to Italy at the International Flight Training School in Decimomannu, for advanced training that takes place there with Leonardo's M-346, is growing.
The PAN version of the M-346 presented today in Istrana will be built by Leonardo based on the specific requirements expressed by the Italian Air Force.
The M-346 is a product born from Leonardo's tradition as a leader in the training aircraft sector, with over 70 years of experience and various models designed and sold in over 2.000 units to more than 40 countries worldwide.
Today Leonardo is already working on the new Block 20 configuration of the aircraft, which will incorporate new digital and artificial intelligence features to keep the M-346 a “top performer” also in future military pilot training scenarios.
The Air Defense renewal process and emerging trends require the continuous use of the most advanced solutions, together with a more rapid development of new capabilities and technologies to ensure the effectiveness of training not only of pilots but also of flight and ground crews, a key element to ensure operational readiness.
The European advanced training aircraft market has a potential of more than 400 new aircraft over the next 20 years, with an estimated €12 billion investment in pilot training services.
