Italian Air Force begins pilot training on T-346A

[Zarvan]

The Italian Air Force have begun training its first batch of newly qualified pilots on the Alenia Aermacchi T-346A jet trainer at Lecce Air Base. Source: Alan Warnes
The Italian Air Force has started training its first pilots on the Alenia Aermacchi T-346A (M-346A) at Lecce-Galatina Air Base in Italy.

Italy has ordered 15 M-346As and has three more on option; five have been delivered, with eight due by March 2016.

The T-346A provides the Phase 4, Lead In Fighter Training (LIFT) element of pilot training and is designed to introduce pilots to fifth-generation aircraft performance and sensors. If successful the four newly qualified Italian pilots in the first batch will then convert to one of Italy's three current fighters; Eurofighter, AMX or Tornado, and in the longer-term to the F-35.

A senior instructor from 61 Wing, which is training pilots at Lecce, told IHS Jane's "We continuously talk to the three operational conversion units (OCUs) to tailor the T-346A course to their needs. We want to take some of their training burden away and decrease the number of hours the OCU has to fly. Getting them 'limited combat ready' before they leave here helps."

Since receiving the first permanently assigned T-346As in February, instructors have been fine-tuning the Phase 4 T-346A LIFT course. The 'experimental syllabus', as it is currently known, provides a 50/50 split between flying training and simulator work covering air-to-air, air-to-ground, air-to-air refuelling, dissimilar air combat training, and air-to-air gunnery. Currently this takes 90 flying hours and 177 events in the ground-based training systems (GBTS). However, time in the air is expected to decrease when simulation is introduced into the GBTS by May 2016. Pilots will then be able to interact on combined air operations (COMAOs) whether they are in the simulator or in the air.

Working alongside the four new graduates on the first course are two experienced pilots, one from the Royal Netherlands Air Force and one from Italy, who will become M-346A instructor pilots (IP). The Netherlands is sending an IP and two student pilots to Lecce to see how suitable the new jet is as a LIFT for the F-35.

The Polish Air Force, which ordered eight M-346As in February 2014, is expected to send the first of 16 pilots for IP training to Lecce in November. Poland is expected to take delivery of its first M-346A in late 2016.

Meanwhile 61 Wing is also currently training a third batch of Kuwait Air Force personnel on the FT-339 (MB-339), in a deal that should see 35 pilots eventually graduate at Lecce.

Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options ihs.com/contact




To read the full article, Client Login
(424 of 460 words)

Italian Air Force begins pilot training on T-346A - IHS Jane's 360