The Air Force has identified a need for up to 45 M-345s to progressively replace the 137 MB-339s that entered the line starting from 1982.
Leonardo has delivered the first two M-345s to the Air Force, whose identification code for the Armed Forces is T-345A. To date, the Italian Air Force has ordered 18 M-345s as part of a total requirement of 45 airplanes which will gradually have to replace the 137 MB-339s that entered the line starting from 1982. Future aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori, the M-345 responds best to the training needs of military pilots, with performance and effectiveness typical of jet aircraft and costs comparable to those of turboprop aircraft.
“The first delivery of this new aircraft represents an important milestone for the country system” says Leonardo's CEO, Alessandro Profumo. AND Marco Zoff, Head of Leonardo's Aircraft Division, explains the importance of the order: “The M-345 will allow the customer Air Forces to significantly improve training effectiveness and reduce operating costs. This first delivery to the Air Force represents an important result, the result of a long and fruitful teamwork carried out with the Armed Forces". Profumo: "the first delivery of this new aircraft represents an important milestone for the country system"
The new M-345, designed to meet the basic and basic-advanced training requirements, will complement the M-346s used for the advanced phase of pilot training, supporting the consolidation of the growth process of the Air Force's training capabilities.
