Contract signed for the supply of the “second batch” of trainer aircraft intended to replace the MB339 in phases 2 and 3. The strategic partnership between the Italian Air Force and the national defence industry continues, with a view to maintaining and enhancing international excellence in the field of flight training. On Wednesday 12 June, the contract for the second batch of the integrated system based on the M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer). The agreement provides for the supply of thirteen aircraft, the associated ground-based training and simulation systems, and logistical support for five years. The aircraft in the second batch will be added to the five from the “first batch” that are already in production. The trainer, which in military terminology will be designated the T-345 (Trainer), is set to gradually replace, starting as early as next year, the fleet of Aermacchi MB339s, the jet that entered service in 1982 and is currently operated by the 61st Wing, the international flight school at Galatina, during stages 2 and 3 of military pilot training. Today, the Salento air base – to which the newly acquired M-345 HETs are destined, and which for some years now has served as a showcase for the promotion of the T-346A, the integrated system used in phase IV of the training programme – embodies the synergy between cutting-edge technology systems, all of which are manufactured in Italy, and the Italian Air Force’s experience spanning over seventy years in the field of flight training: a valid and concrete example of world-class Italian excellence, and a source of pride for the whole of Italy. Thanks to the innovative nature of the technologies employed and the reduction in operating costs associated with its use, the introduction of the T-345 into service will enable the Galatina flight school to consolidate its leading position in the basic training segment as well. Finally, it is worth emphasising that the T-345 will also replace the 339 PAN, maintaining the Galatina–Frecce Tricolori partnership which sees our cadets flying the same aircraft used by the National Aerobatic Team. The 61st Wing, under the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region in Bari, is responsible for providing jet flight training: · Phase II – Primary Pilot Training, common to all military cadet pilots, aimed at identifying the aircraft types they will fly (fighters, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), helicopters, transport), is conducted on the T339A; · Phase III – Specialised Pilot Training, aimed exclusively at cadet pilots selected for the “Fighter” and “RPA” branches, culminating in the award of the Military Pilot’s Licence (turreted eagle) – the FT339C is used for this phase; · Phase IV – Lead-In to Fighter Training (LIFT), preparatory to subsequent deployment on fighter aircraft, is conducted on the T346A. Currently, the 61st Wing hosts aircrew from as many as nine foreign nations, including the United States, Spain and France.
