LONDON—Leonardo-Finmeccanicaplans to begin marketing a new light attack version of its M346 jet trainer at the July 11-17 Farnborough air show.
New light attack capabilities could be available for the market in two years, company officials told journalists here June 17, and the company plans to display one of the aircraft at the show, carrying weaponry underwing.
“This is a platform that can do several different jobs,” said Massimo Ghione, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Leonardo Aircraft (Alenia Aermacchi). “We started to realize it can be a wonderful aggressor aircraft … and this aircraft has the agility to be a low-cost ground attack aircraft.”
The market is familiar territory for Leonardo. It previously touted the Aermacchi MB-339 as a light attack aircraft. Other manufacturers also are showing growing interest in this market segment. Textron Airland is offering its new-build Scorpion, while BAE Systems is studying options to arm its Hawk trainer after India showed interest.
Leonardo plans to integrate a number of guided and unguided weapons onto the M346. Which ones will depend on customer requirements.
“One day it can perform a training flight, the next, it could be a fighter,” Ghione said.
The company has previously suggested that an armed version of the M346 could fulfill an expected requirement from Poland for a light strike aircraft that would replace the country’s Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters. Poland has already selected the M346 as its next-generation trainer. The first of eight aircraft for Poland was rolled out in Venegono, Italy, on June 6.
Ghione also said the company is marketing the M346 to meet a Taiwanese tender for up to 66 advanced jet trainers to replace the indigenous AIDC AT-3. A selection of the new platform could be made in early 2017.
Leonardo and prime contractor Raytheon will also provide more details on its T-100 offering for the U.S. Air Force’s T-X next-generation jet trainer program. As part of its offering, and to help prepare pilots for fifth-generation fighters, the T-100 will be fitted with an F-35-like single wide-screen display.
Meanwhile, the company is preparing to fly a demonstrator for its M345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) concept, launched at the Paris air show in 2013. The HET is based on the company’s lightweight M345 design, itself evolved from SIAI-Marchetti’s S.211 jet trainer. Production HETs will be fitted with a new engine, the Williams FJ44-4M-34. It will also feature new landing gear, an environmental control system and a new avionics suite.
To reduce risk in the program, an X-619 demonstrator has been rebuilt from a company-owned aircraft and retrofitted with the engine. Company officials say it will fly in this year’s fourth quarter. The demonstrator will also be fitted with the new avionics suite. The demonstrator had been expected to fly in the first half of this year. But the company says first deliveries are still planned to begin in 2018. The first series production aircraft, to be used for testing and certification, should fly in 2017.
The company says a “version [of the M345 HET] with operational capabilities will be developed and certified.”