Polish Air Force adds four more M-346 trainer jets.

Leonardo and the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry of National Defense have signed a contract to supply four additional M-346 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) that will join the Polish Air Force’s existing fleet of eight aircraft by 2020. The contract, worth more than 115 million euro, includes a support package. It also contains options for additional four aircraft and support package.

Two Polish Air Force M-346 trainer jets
(Credit: Leonardo)

Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This contract reinforces Leonardo’s close partnership with Poland, a country where our technologies and skills are already deeply rooted, and which recognizes the unique capabilities of our integrated training system based on the M-346 aircraft”, adding “training will be an increasingly important part of Leonardo’s strategy, as outlined in the Company’s 2018-222 Industrial Plan, as it allows us to develop a deep understanding of our customers’ needs and to  collaborate with them in the long term”. 

This latest success builds on Leonardo’s significant footprint in Poland where it has 3000 highly-skilled employees at its PZL helicopter site in Świdnik. In Poland, Leonardo has a long standing collaboration with Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) for the Rosomak programme providing the 30 mm Hitfist Turret to the Polish Army.

Leonardo supplies also several defence and security systems like the ground segment for the COSMO-SkyMed earth observation satellites, early warning radar and coastal surveillance systems contributing significantly to the security of Poland. Across the aerospace, security and cyber domains, Leonardo partners with the Polish Government and local industries to meet their requirements.  

The M-346 is the most advanced trainer aircraft available on the market today and is unique in its ability to prepare pilots to fly the latest generation high-performance aircraft. Its wide flight envelope, high thrust/weight ratio and extreme maneuverability allows the M-346 to offer flight conditions similar to those of new-generation combat aircraft maximizing training effectiveness and reducing the need to fly sorties on the far more expensive and complex variants of frontline aircraft. The Embedded Tactical Training Simulation (ETTS) allows the M-346 to emulate sensors, countermeasures and armaments, as well as allowing pilots to interact in real time with a virtual tactical scenario, further enhancing flexibility and cost reduction.

Thanks to its Helmet Mounted Display, in-flight refueling probe and pylons for up to 3,000 kilos of external loads, the M-346 can carry out a complete tactical training syllabus. The M-346 is the basis of the T-100 Integrated Training System, the solution offered by Leonardo DRS in the T-X competition for the U.S. Air Force’s advanced pilot training system programme.