Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master
| M-346 Master | |
|---|---|
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|
| An Italian M-346 in flight during the 55th Anniversary of the Frecce Tricolori. | |
| Role | Advanced trainer / light attack |
| Manufacturer |
Leonardo Alenia Aermacchi |
| First flight | 15 July 2004 |
| Introduction | September 2015, Italy |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users |
Italian Air Force Israeli Air Force Republic of Singapore Air Force |
| Unit cost |
US$35 million
|
| Developed from | Yakovlev Yak-130 |
The Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master is a military twin-engine transonic trainer aircraft. Originally co-developed with Yakovlev as the Yak/AEM-130, the partnership was dissolved in 2000 and Alenia Aermacchi proceeded to separately develop the M-346 Master, while Yakolev continued work on the Yakovlev Yak-130. The first flight of the M-346 was performed in 2004. The type is currently operated by the air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore, and Poland. Since 2016 manufacturer became Leonardo-Finmeccanica as Alenia Aermaccchi merged into the new Finmeccanica (rebranded as Leonardo since 2017).
In 1992, Aermacchi signed a cooperation agreement with Yakovlev to provide financial and technical support for the new trainer that the firm had been developing since 1991 for the Russian Air Force in competition with the Mikoyan MiG-AT; Aermacchi also gained the right to modify and market the aircraft for the Western market. The resulting aircraft first flew in 1996 and was brought to Italy the following year to replace the aging MB-339. By this point, the aircraft was being marketed as the Yak/AEM-130. In February 1996, Russia provided initial funding for the Yak/AEM-130 and pledged to purchase up to 200 aircraft for the Russian Air Force.
In October 1998, it was reported that the venture was increasingly becoming an Italian-led effort due to a lack of financial support on the part of Russia. By July 2000, Aermacchi held a 50% stake in the development programme, Yakovlev and Sokol had a 25% share each. In mid-2000, it was announced that differences in priorities between the two firms, and a lack of financial backing from the programme's Russian participants, had brought about an end to the partnership, and that each firm would pursue development of the aircraft independently; Yakovlev received US$77 million for technical documents of the aircraft. Yakovlev would be able to sell the Yak-130 to countries such those in the Commonwealth of Independent States, India, Slovakia and Algeria; while Aeromacchi would be able to sell the M-346 to NATO countries, among others.
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