It officially began on Monday 28 July, at the 61st Wing of Galatina-Lecce, the first training course for pilot trainees on T-345A aircraft. The course, corresponding to phase II of the training process, will last approximately 9 months and will see the participation of Italian and Dutch student pilots, confirming the increasingly consolidated international scope of the Italian training system.
It T-345A It is a next-generation jet aircraft, designed for basic and basic-advanced training of military pilots. With modern avionics and operating costs similar to those of a high-performance turboprop, it represents a significant generational leap compared to the T-339A, which for over four decades has been the beating heart of flight training for the Air Force. An evolutionary step that has not only concerned the technological aspect but also the training approach: integration with advanced simulation systems allows the T-345A to create complex tactical environments during flight, offering unprecedented realism in learning. It is closely related to the T-346A, already in use for the advanced training phase (called Phase IV) for future pilots. fighter, This will ensure continuity of training between the different phases of fighter pilot qualification.
Initially employed by the 214th Flight Group for Phase II – Primary Pilot Training, the T-345A will subsequently also be used by the 213th Group for Phase III – Specialised Pilot Training. The Colonel Gianfranco Liccardo, Commander of the 61st Wing, during the usual welcome to the new course, wanted to convey the right motivations to the new attendees: “You are the pioneers of a new training system: it will be thanks to your skills that the integration of a new aircraft will take shape, allowing the Air Force to take a further step towards an even more advanced, sustainable and interoperable training system with international partners. This new platform, in addition to enhancing training capabilities, will confirm Galatina's role as a centre of excellence on a global level.”
It 61st Wing, an now-historic international benchmark in the military flight training sector, is structured to provide high-performance, tailored training for pilots destined for aerotactic roles. Specifically, the Salento Flying School handles Phase II training (common to all military pilot trainees and focused on identifying which operational lines they will fly), and Phase III training (aimed exclusively at pilot trainees selected for the fFighterand the fourth and final phase – “Lead-in to Fighter Training (LIFT) – preliminary to subsequent use on aircraft fighter state-of-the-art, through the 212th Flying Group/IFTS employee stationed at the Decimomannu site.
