Farnborough 2016: Leonardo unveils armed M-346 FT aircraft

[Zarvan]

Leonardo debuted their armed M346 FT trainer/strike aircraft at Farnborough 2016. Source: Luca Peruzzi
Leonardo unveiled an armed version of its M-346 jet trainer aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow 2016. The dual-role platform is intended to offer operational and training capabilities and has been named the M-346 Fighter Trainer (FT).

The new low-cost aircraft will be ready within two years, said Leonardo. It is based on the proven M-346 lead-in fighter/trainer platform, of which 68 aircraft have been ordered by Italy, Singapore, Israel and Poland, with 48 delivered.

"The new version has been conceived to take the advantage of additional market opportunities by offering in a two-year time frame from now a product solution with operational capabilities as a fall-out of the already certified M-346 AJT [advanced jet trainer] platform," said Filippo Bagnato, head of Leonardo's aircraft division.

Leonardo will, however, continue to market both the AJT and FT versions, as well as providing the dual-role capability of the M346 FT as a retrofit to existing and future sold AJTs.

"The M-346 FT version will be able to provide both training and operational capabilities as a low-cost solution based on the same platform including airframe, avionics, inflight refuelling and current underwing and under-fuselage stations of the AJT version," said Enrico Scarabotto, Leonardo's aircraft division chief test pilot.

Leonardo has identified three main mission types that can be satisfied by the M346 FT version: urban and battlefield close-air support; homeland security; and tactical reconnaissance. "In addition to a range of operational [payloads] that can be carried on the same five external stations of the AJT version … the M-346 will be equipped with a tactical datalink such as the Link 16 as well as a defensive aids subsystem to provide situational awareness and self protection, as well as a multiband secure radios package for platform networking. The M-346 FT won't have a radar system, but Leonardo has already studied the application on the platform if a customer requires it," said Lucio Valerio Cioffi, head of engineering at Leonardo's aircraft division.

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