Italian Air Force kicks off M-345 trainer entry to service

The Italian Air Force has officially introduced Leonardo’s M-345 training aircraft into service (Leonardo)

BELFAST — The Italian Air Force has formally introduced the Leonardo M-345 aircraft into service, jump starting a new era of basic flight training with the 61st Wing at Galatina in southern Italy.

Publicizing the milestone in a Thursday statement, the manufacturer said that the trainer, designated T-345A by the Italian Air Force, replaces the Aermacchi MB-339, and alongside the M-346 will “consolidate Italy’s leadership in the training of current and future military pilots.”

Based on a requirement for 45 aircraft in all, Italy has so far ordered 18 M-345 units to support the second and third phases of pilot training, while the M-346, also made by Leonardo, delivers advanced training. Leonardo announced the initial delivery of a first pair of M-345 trainers to Rome in 2020.

Produced out of the manufacturer’s Venegono Superiore site, the M-345 trainer is powered by a Williams FJ44-4M-34 turbofan engine and is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 764km/h, according to Leonardo data [PDF].

The company also claims the platform “delivers performance superior to those of a high-end turboprop jet at comparable operating costs,” and notes that because of “full-digital avionics and innovative human-machine interface, the M-345 fits perfectly into the training syllabus assisting pilots for the transition to new-generation fighter jets.”

Featuring three color touch-screen Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and a Head-Up Display (HUD), enabling an “immersive flying experience,” pilots also benefit from HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) controls so they can fly without taking their hands off the “main controls,” states Leonardo.

The manufacturer has yet to see an international order for the trainer, but prior developments include a signed Letter of Intent with South Africa’s Paramount Group to assess a weaponized configuration for the African market and a campaign to secure a deal with Slovakia.

“Leonardo considers the innovative dual-role jet trainer M-345 as [an] ideal solution to Slovakian Air Force’s future fighter pilots training,” it said in a 2021 statement. Since then strategic agreements between the manufacturer and Slovakian companies have been signed.