F-35 Compatibility Wins Aermacchi $1 Billion Israel Contract

Compatibility with the Lockheed Martin F-35 has helped the Aermacchi M-346 beat the South Korean T-50 Israeli fighter trainer deal. An Israeli MoD release said among the reasons for the Italian Aermacchi selection was its twin engine configuration and compatibility with the F-35 and other aircraft such as the Eurofighter, Dassault Rafale and Boeing F-15. Israel is a partner in the F-35 program and is expecting to equip its Air Force with the fifth generation fighter and progressively phase out the F-16. Since being selected by the Israeli Defense Ministry to supply its Air Force with 30 training jets worth $1 Billion, Aermacchi can now hope to garner a wider audience for its M-346 plane. The T-50 was found not be in conformity with “international standards”, according to the Israeli MoD release. Aermacchi’s M-346 was recently delivered to the Italian Air Force and is soon expected to be in service with Singapore’s Air Force. The F-35 is turning out to be the most coveted fighter among countries like Israel, Singapore, Japan and Middle Eastern countries like U.A.E and Saudi Arabia, making Aermacchi a popular choice for a trainer among nations looking to upgrade their fighters. Besides integrating F-35 characteristics, the M-346 plane also incorporates the F-16, the F-15 and the Eurofighter. The M-346s, which will make the Israeli Air Force’ new trainers fleet, a will replace the TA-4 Skyhawks currently operated by Israel Air Force. Giuseppe Giordo, Alenia Aermacchi’s Chief Executive Officer and Responsible for Finmeccanica’s Aeronautics Sector, said, “This new and important achievement represents the result of the synergic collaboration between the Italian industry and authorities and represents, a big-value success for the Italian high-technology aeronautical industry and for the whole “country system”’. Modelled after new-generation fighter aircrafts, such as Eurofighter, Gripen, Rafale, F-22 and the future JSF, the M-346 stands out for its high degree of safety, low acquisition and operating costs and has the ideal platform for a latest-generation integrated training system. Its flexibility means that it can also be configured as an affordable advanced defence aircraft for operational roles. A Defenseworld.net news analysis by Bindiya Thomas