It began in recent weeks at the 61st Stormo of Galatina (LE), on the’Airport “F. Cesari”, flight activity on the training aircraft T-345A within the scope of the FStage II of the training process of military pilots. The first trainees to carry out “missions” on the new Force Armata trainer belong all’Italian Air Force and the Dutch Air Force.
Real flight activity was initiated after a period of ground school, including theoretical lessons and an intensive program carried out on simulators, These courses have enabled the trainees to become familiar with the aircraft systems, developing the skills necessary for the transition to operational use.
The T-345A, designed and manufactured in Italy thanks to Leonardo’s consolidated experience in the field of military trainers, is a next-generation system capable of integrating advanced technologies and high performance even within the training context. The use of the new aircraft will further raise the quality standards of training, ensuring greater continuity and effectiveness in the transition to the subsequent stages of training.
Together with the Ground-Based Training System (GBTS) that is, the set of ground-based simulation systems of Leonardo, in fact, the T-345A guarantees high levels of training, a reduction in flight hours and associated costs, and greater sustainability. The integrated T-345A and T-346A systems, finally, allow for a fluid training path for pilots destined for air traffic control lines, improving the overall effectiveness of the entire training process.
For Colonel Gianfranco Liccardo, Commander of the 61st Wing “The start of real activities on the T-345 It represents an additional historical step for our Department, which is enriched with a highly performing system that is geared towards the future training needs of the Italian Air Force and the air forces of partner countries.. This is an important milestone, supported by the presence of foreign students, which once again confirms the role of excellence played by this school in the preparation of new military pilots.
It Commander of the Schools of the Italian Air Force and the 3rd Air Region, General of the Air Force Francesco Vestito, during a visit to the Department, wanted to meet the young cadets, emphasizing to them the fundamental values of dedication, professionalism and sense of duty as indispensable elements to be followed to successfully continue on the path that awaits them.
The 61st Air Wing, for years an international reference point in the field of military flight training, continues on its path of consolidation. Leadership Italian, thanks to an innovative approach that integrates cutting-edge technology, sustainability and international cooperation. At the School of Flight in Salento, within the four phases that make up the training process for military pilots, it performs: Phase II (Primary Pilot Training), common to all the student pilots; the Phase III (Specialised Pilot Training), addressed to those selected for the combat lines (fighters); the Phase IV (also called Lead In-to Fighter Training – LIFT), however, which is a precursor to its use on the latest generation of fighter jets such as the Eurofighter and F-35, is developed by the 212nd Flight Wing/IFTS integrated into the International Flight Training School (IFTS) and deployed at the Decimomannu air base (CA), in Sardinia.
