Leonardo-Finmeccanica Rolls Out First Of 8 Polish M-346 Trainer Aircraft

Leonardo-Finmeccanica rolled out the first of eight Polish Air Force M-346 aircraft Monday.

The first of 8 Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainers ordered by Poland in 2014 will now undergo a flight test programme to certify bespoke systems chosen by the Polish Air Force such as the brake parachute. It will then be delivered to the customer by the end of the year along with a second aircraft. Deliveries will be completed by November 2017, the company said in a statement Monday.

The M-346s will enter into service with the 4th Training Wing Squadron at Poland’s Deblin base. With the M-346, the base aims to become an international hub for the training of military pilots.

The M-346 has been ordered by the Air Forces of Italy (18), Singapore (12), Israel (30) and Poland (8) for a total of 68 orders.