Leonardo contracted to deliver additional M-345 trainers to Italian Air Force

Leonardo has been awarded EUR300 million (USD339 million) to deliver a further 13 Alenia M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) aircraft to the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI).

The Italian Air Force has now signed for 13 more M-345 jet trainers to add to the five already ordered. The service has a total requirement for 45 such aircraft to replace its MB-339s and augment its M-346s. (Leonardo)

The contract, announced on 13 June, adds to the five aircraft previously ordered under plans to replace the AMI’s current 137 MB-339s and augment its 18 M-346s. Deliveries of the first five M-345s are due to begin in early 2020, while the AMI retains a total requirement for 45 M-345 HET aircraft.

First revealed in 2013, the M-345 HET is a development of the baseline M-345 jet trainer, which was a redesignation of the Aermacchi M-311 (an upgrade of the Aermacchi S-211 jet trainer). Company specifications give the M-345 HET a top speed of 420 kt at 20,000 ft; a stall speed of 88 kt; a rate of climb of 5,200 ft/min; a service ceiling of 40,000 ft; a sustained load factor of +4 g ; a fuel consumption (average) of 380 litre/h; a maximum range of 760 n miles (1,407 km) (clean) or 1,000 n miles (with external tanks); an endurance of 2.75 hours (clean) or 3.85 hours (external tanks); and a take-off run-and- landing roll of 520 m.

Besides the company orders for Italy, the M-345 HET has received interest from Chile with the previous signing of a memorandum of understanding. However, an offer of the aircraft to France was not taken up. Leonardo has also touted the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam as being potential customers.