Poland to Buy 4 Additional Leonardo M-346 Advanced Jet Trainers

Leonardo and the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish MoD have signed a contract to supply four additional M-346 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) that will join the Polish Air Force’s existing fleet of eight aircraft by 2020.

The contract, worth more than 115 million euro, includes a support package. It also contains options for additional four aircraft and support package.

Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This contract reinforces the unique capabilities of our integrated training system based on the M-346 aircraft”, adding “training will be an increasingly important part of Leonardo’s strategy, as outlined in the Company’s 2018-2022 Industrial Plan.”

The M-346 offers flight conditions similar to those of new-generation combat aircraft maximizing training effectiveness and reducing the need to fly sorties on the far more expensive and complex variants of frontline aircraft.

The Embedded Tactical Training Simulation (ETTS) allows the M-346 to emulate sensors, countermeasures and armaments, as well as allowing pilots to interact in real time with a virtual tactical scenario, further enhancing flexibility and cost reduction. Thanks to its Helmet Mounted Display, in-flight refueling probe and pylons for up to 3,000 kilos of external loads, the M-346 can carry out a complete tactical training syllabus.

The M-346 is the basis of the T-100 Integrated Training System, the solution offered by Leonardo DRS in the T-X competition for the U.S. Air Force’s advanced pilot training system programme.