Italy and ITPS Canada establish first private Leonardo M-346 fighter trainer fleet in North America.

Italy and ITPS Canada are establishing the first privately operated Leonardo M-346 fighter trainer fleet in North America, introducing a dedicated fourth- and fifth-generation pilot preparation capability at the International Tactical Training Centre in North Bay, Ontario. The agreement signed on May 26, 2026, positions Canada as a new multinational tactical aviation training hub at a time when NATO air forces are struggling to generate enough pilots for rapidly expanding F-35, Rafale, Eurofighter, and Gripen fleets.

The six M-346 Block 20 aircraft will replace legacy surrogate aggressor-style training with a purpose-built digital Lead-In Fighter Training system designed to replicate modern combat aviation environments. Equipped with fly-by-wire controls, embedded tactical simulation, datalinked mission rehearsal capability, and cockpit architecture tailored for fifth-generation operations, the aircraft will allow ITPS to conduct advanced tactical instruction while reducing frontline fighter airframe consumption and accelerating pilot transition into operational combat squadrons.

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The Leonardo M-346 T Block 20 enhances fighter training by integrating a single Large Area Display cockpit and an advanced Embedded Tactical Training System to simulate complex fifth-generation fighter environments at a fraction of their operational costs. (Picture source: Leonardo)

On May 26, 2026, the test pilot school ITPS Canada signed a contract with the Italian company Leonardo for six M-346 T Block 20 advanced jet trainers with options for six additional aircraft, creating the first privately operated fleet of modern twin-engine transonic lead-in fighter trainers in Canada. The aircraft are scheduled to enter service from 2029 at the International Tactical Training Centre (ITTC) in North Bay, Ontario, where ITPS currently supports tactical aviation training requirements for more than ten air forces and has previously trained personnel from over 29 air arms.

The acquisition introduces a dedicated fourth- and fifth-generation fighter preparation aircraft into a fleet previously centered on upgraded L-39 Albatros, Hawker Hunter T.7, and L-29 Delfin supported by embedded simulation and live-virtual-constructive training systems. ITPS already operates F-16C, F/A-18, F-35, AH-64, and fifth-generation simulators integrated into tactical mission rehearsal environments. The procurement is directly tied to increasing NATO demand for advanced fighter pilot production as allied air forces expand F-35, Rafale, Eurofighter, and Gripen fleets faster than existing operational conversion systems can absorb replacement crews. 

The contract was signed in Venegono Superiore, Italy, by ITPS Executive Chairman Giorgio Clementi and Leonardo representatives following evaluation flights conducted by ITPS CEO Dave Lohse in October 2025, north of Ottawa International Airport. Deliveries are aligned with operational introduction from 2029 onward, and the aircraft will be assigned to the International Tactical Training Centre rather than ITPS’s London, Ontario campus. No acquisition value has been disclosed publicly, although exercising all options would create one of the largest non-state M-346 fleets globally.

The procurement constitutes the first major tactical fleet expansion at North Bay since the establishment of the ITTC in 2001 and marks a transition from surrogate tactical familiarization toward dedicated Lead-In Fighter Training (LIFT) capability. The agreement also expands Leonardo’s operational presence in the North American tactical aviation training market following the unsuccessful T-X and T-100 campaigns targeting the U.S Air Force trainer requirement. ITPS currently operates approximately 28 aircraft, combining tactical training, flight test instruction, and engineering support missions.

The school's tactical jet fleet relies primarily on aircraft designed between the late 1950s and early 1970s but modernized with digital avionics, multifunction displays, embedded simulation systems, and HOTAS interfaces intended to approximate modern fighter cockpit architecture. The eight L-39 Albatros aircraft incorporate upgraded navigation systems, mission replay capability, and head-up display functions, while the three Hawker Hunter T.7 aircraft operate as fifth-generation surrogate tactical aircraft equipped with tactical datalinks, secure communications, threat simulation software, and electronic warfare replication systems.

ITPS supplements airborne instruction with F-16C Block 50, F/A-18, F-35, AH-64, and fifth-generation assessment simulators connected through live-virtual-constructive architecture, enabling airborne crews to interact with synthetic threats and computer-generated forces. The M-346 acquisition, therefore, shifts the organization from modified legacy aggressor-style aircraft toward a purpose-built digital fighter training system. The M-346 itself originated from the Yak/AEM-130 program initiated between Aermacchi and Yakovlev during the 1990s, before the Italian and Russian partners separated into independent aircraft developments.

The aircraft is powered by two Honeywell/ITEC F124-GA-200 turbofan engines, each producing 6,280 lbf of thrust without afterburners, enabling sustained transonic flight exceeding Mach 1.1 under certain conditions while maintaining lower operating costs than frontline fighters. The aircraft incorporates a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system with programmable control laws allowing instructors to alter g-limits, angle-of-attack restrictions, and handling characteristics to emulate different operational fighter aircraft. The system permits controlled maneuvering beyond 30 degrees angle of attack, while the cockpit integrates three multifunction displays, HOTAS controls, head-up display architecture, helmet-mounted display compatibility, and NVG compatibility intended to replicate fourth- and fifth-generation fighter environments.

The Block 20 configuration acquired by ITPS is optimized specifically for pilot preparation associated with the F-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, and future sixth-generation combat aviation systems. The acquisition also reflects the increasing strain on NATO pilot generation systems caused by simultaneous fighter recapitalization programs across Europe and North America. Operational conversion training for aircraft such as the F-35 increasingly requires familiarity with sensor fusion management, datalink operations, electronic warfare interaction, and distributed targeting architecture before pilots transition into operational squadrons.

The M-346 addresses this requirement through its Embedded Tactical Training System, capable of simulating radar behavior, targeting pods, missile threats, electronic warfare systems and hostile aircraft interaction without physically installing operational combat hardware onboard the aircraft. This architecture reduces operational fighter airframe consumption and live ordnance expenditure while preserving realistic tactical mission environments during advanced pilot preparation. Several NATO countries have consequently expanded hybrid or contractor-operated training arrangements to supplement military-owned pilot production infrastructure as operational squadrons absorb increasing numbers of fifth-generation aircraft.

Leonardo markets the M-346 as part of an Integrated Training System combining aircraft, full-mission simulators, mission planning stations, synthetic battlespace software, academic training devices, and logistics support into a unified pilot-generation structure. The aircraft already serves with the air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore, Poland, Greece, and Qatar, while Austria, Indonesia, and Brazil are evaluating or pursuing Block 20 acquisitions. Italy’s International Flight Training School at Galatina Air Base uses the M-346 as the core aircraft for multinational fighter lead-in instruction, and the ITPS purchase effectively establishes the first North American-based M-346 tactical training node operating outside direct state military ownership.

Leonardo has also expanded the aircraft family into aggressor and companion training missions alongside the M-346FA armed configuration capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, guided bombs, and electronic warfare pods, as well as the M-346N naval training variant. Operationally, the M-346 enables the International Tactical Training Centre to transition from surrogate tactical familiarization toward dedicated Lead-In Fighter Training and operational conversion support capable of supporting multinational tactical integration exercises.

The aircraft’s Embedded Tactical Training System allows airborne crews to interact in real time with synthetic hostile aircraft, simulated surface-to-air missile threats, radar emissions, and datalinked friendly forces while connected to ground-based simulators participating in the same mission scenario. Compared with the L-39 and Hawker Hunter fleets currently operated by ITPS, the M-346’s fly-by-wire controls, twin-engine configuration, digital cockpit architecture and integrated safety systems improve suitability for sustained high-tempo tactical instruction involving repeated high-load maneuver profiles and sensor-driven combat simulation.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.