Aermacchi M-346
Encyclopedia
The Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master is a military transonic
trainer aircraft. It is based on work done by Yakovlev
and Aermacchi while working on the Yak-130
as a joint venture
.
, Aermacchi signed an agreement to partner with Yakovlev on the new trainer the firm had been developing since 1991 for the Russian Air Force
. The resulting aircraft first flew in 1996
and was brought to Italy
the following year to substitute the aging MB-339. At the time, the aircraft was marketed as the Yak/AEM-130, however, by 2000
, differences in priorities between the two firms brought about an end to the partnership, with each developing the aircraft independently, with Aermacchi retaining worldwide marketing rights except for Russia
and the other CIS
nations. A Russian version is also being pursued by Yakovlev and Sokol, under a different time schedule.
The M-346 is a highly modified version of the aircraft the joint venture was producing, and uses equipment exclusively from Western manufacturers. The first prototype rolled out on 7 June 2003 and flew for the first time on 15 July 2004.
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In January 2005
, the Greek Ministry of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to become a partner in the programme and, in 2006
, Aermacchi signed an industrial cooperation agreement with Hellenic Aerospace Industry
.
In July 2007
, the M-346 flew to the United Arab Emirates for hot weather tests and operational evaluation by the UAE Air Force.
In March 2008
the Chile
an ENAER
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Alenia Aermacchi at the FIDAE air show.
On 10 April 2008 one further prototype in the final configuration (new landing gear
and air brake
, more composite parts) was rolled out: first flight of this "Industrial Baseline Configuration" was expected in June. On 18 December 2008, the M-346 reached a maximum speed of Mach 1.15 (1,255 km/h, 678 knots, 780 mph).
In May 2008 Boeing
signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the marketing, sales, training and support of two Aermacchi trainers, the M-346 and the M-311.
The development of a full-mission simulator for the M-346 has been awarded to CAE
and is under development.
The M-346 is designed for training combat pilots for front line fighter aircraft. It is capable of transonic flight without using an afterburner
, which is designed to reduce acquisition and operating costs. Two engines and triple-quadruple redundant systems enhance reliability.
The aerodynamic design of the M-346 uses vortex lift
to provide manoeuvrability and controllability at very high angle of attack (up to 40° degrees) using a fly-by-wire
control system.
The aircraft is powered by two Honeywell F124
engines, and uses a digital flight control system by Teleavio/Marconi in collaboration with BAE Systems
, Dowty
and Microtecnica for actuators.
The new IBC (Industrial Baseline Configuration) prototype includes a new air brake
just behind the cockpit
, similar to the Sukhoi Su-30
, new landing gear
and some structural changes, with the use of more titanium and composite parts in order to reduce weight and production costs. As a result, the prototype weighs 780 kg less than the existing model, providing faster acceleration and climbing, increased maneuverability and max speed, as well as improved fuel capacity (200 kg) and cockpit visibility.
On 20 June 2011, a Military Type Certification
was granted to Alenia Aermacchi for the M-346 Master by the General Directorate for Aeronautical Armaments of the Italian Ministry of Defence in Rome
. In order to complete the certification process, the M-346 development aircraft made 180 test flights, totalling 200 flights, over the previous five months and completed over 3,300 test points.
The Italian Air Force
intends to acquire a first batch of 15 low rate production M-346 aircraft. On 18 June 2009, Alenia Aermacchi announced they had received an order for the first six with an option for nine more.
The M-346 was named the winner of a competition by the United Arab Emirates
at the IDEX
2009 defense show in Abu Dhabi
on 25 February 2009. The official said the order involved delivery of 48 aircraft to be used for pilot training and light attack duties. A final request for proposals last year had set the requirement at 20 trainers, 20 aircraft for combat duties, and the remainder would go toward the creation of a formation flying team. However on 27 January 2010, negotiations to sign a contract have reportedly stalled over specifications.
In July 2010, the M-346 was selected by Republic of Singapore Air Force
(RSAF) to replace the ST Aerospace A-4SU Super Skyhawks in the Advanced Jet Training (AJT) role, currently based at BA 120 Cazaux Air Base in France. And in a press release by the Singaporean Ministry of Defence
on 28 September 2010, ST Aerospace
had been awarded the contract to acquire twelve M-346 and a ground based training system on behalf of RSAF. As stipulated in the contract, ST Aerospace will act as the main contractor to maintain the aircraft after delivery by Alenia Aermacchi while Boeing would supply the training system. Delivery date is scheduled from 2012 onwards.
On 18 November 2011 the prototype, which had been on display at the Dubai Air Show crashed after departing Dubai on return to Italy.
Transonic
Transonic speed is an aeronautics term referring to the condition of flight in which a range of velocities of airflow exist surrounding and flowing past an air vehicle or an airfoil that are concurrently below, at, and above the speed of sound in the range of Mach 0.8 to 1.2, i.e. 600–900 mph...
trainer aircraft. It is based on work done by Yakovlev
Yakovlev
The Yak Aircraft Corporation is a Russian aircraft designer and manufacturer...
and Aermacchi while working on the Yak-130
Yakovlev Yak-130
The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft or lead-in fighter trainer developed by the Yakovlev design bureau. Development of the plane began in 1991, and the maiden flight was conducted on 26 April 1996...
as a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
.
Development
In 19931993 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1993:- Events :* The 1,000th Boeing 747 comes off the production line 26 years after the first 747 was built.-February:* The Bolivian Air Force retires the last F-86 Sabre in service amongst the worlds air forces....
, Aermacchi signed an agreement to partner with Yakovlev on the new trainer the firm had been developing since 1991 for the Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
. The resulting aircraft first flew in 1996
1996 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1996:-February:* February 6 – Turkish charter company Birgenair Flight 301 crashes in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic after takeoff...
and was brought to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
the following year to substitute the aging MB-339. At the time, the aircraft was marketed as the Yak/AEM-130, however, by 2000
2000 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 2000:s-January:* January 30 – Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 169....
, differences in priorities between the two firms brought about an end to the partnership, with each developing the aircraft independently, with Aermacchi retaining worldwide marketing rights except for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the other CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
nations. A Russian version is also being pursued by Yakovlev and Sokol, under a different time schedule.
The M-346 is a highly modified version of the aircraft the joint venture was producing, and uses equipment exclusively from Western manufacturers. The first prototype rolled out on 7 June 2003 and flew for the first time on 15 July 2004.
2005 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 2005:-January:*January 18 - The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, gets unveiled in an elaborate ceremony in France....
, the Greek Ministry of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to become a partner in the programme and, in 2006
2006 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 2006:-January:*January 5 - Independence Air closed operations after declaring bankruptcy.*January 19 - Jet Airways announces its purchase of Air Sahara, creating the largest domestic airline in India.-February:...
, Aermacchi signed an industrial cooperation agreement with Hellenic Aerospace Industry
Hellenic Aerospace Industry
Hellenic Aerospace Industry is the leading aerospace company of Greece. The company has undertaken over the years a great deal of subcontracting work with major International Aerospace companies and has accomplished many original developments in military electronics,...
.
In July 2007
2007 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 2007:-January:*1 January – Adam Air Flight 574, a Boeing 737, disappears in Indonesian airspace with 102 people on board....
, the M-346 flew to the United Arab Emirates for hot weather tests and operational evaluation by the UAE Air Force.
In March 2008
2008 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 2008:-January:* 2 January – Asian Spirit Flight 321, an NAMC YS-11, overruns the runway while landing in Masbate City, Philippines...
the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an ENAER
ENAER
-History:The Maintenance Wing of the Chilean Air Force was formed in 1930 as the Maestranza Central de Aviación . On March 16, 1984, the wing was formed into company ENAER .In the early 1980s, an agreement with Piper Aircraft saw the then Ala de Mantenimiento assembling...
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Alenia Aermacchi at the FIDAE air show.
On 10 April 2008 one further prototype in the final configuration (new landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
and air brake
Air brake (aircraft)
In aeronautics, air brakes or speedbrakes are a type of flight control surface used on an aircraft to increase drag or increase the angle of approach during landing....
, more composite parts) was rolled out: first flight of this "Industrial Baseline Configuration" was expected in June. On 18 December 2008, the M-346 reached a maximum speed of Mach 1.15 (1,255 km/h, 678 knots, 780 mph).
In May 2008 Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the marketing, sales, training and support of two Aermacchi trainers, the M-346 and the M-311.
The development of a full-mission simulator for the M-346 has been awarded to CAE
CAE (company)
CAE Inc. is a leading provider of simulation technologies, modelling technologies and integrated training services to airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and defense customers worldwide. The company has annual revenues in excess of CAD $1.6 billion, with manufacturing operations and training...
and is under development.
Design
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
, which is designed to reduce acquisition and operating costs. Two engines and triple-quadruple redundant systems enhance reliability.
The aerodynamic design of the M-346 uses vortex lift
Vortex lift
Vortex lift is a form of lift generated by delta wings operating at high angles of attack.-How it works:Vortex lift works by capturing vortices generated from the sharply swept leading edge of the wing. The vortex, formed roughly parallel to the leading edge of the wing, is trapped by the airflow...
to provide manoeuvrability and controllability at very high angle of attack (up to 40° degrees) using a fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
control system.
The aircraft is powered by two Honeywell F124
Honeywell F124
The Honeywell/ITEC F124 is a low-bypass turbofan engine derived from the civilian Honeywell TFE731. The F125 is an afterburning version of the engine. The engine began development in the late 1970s for the Republic of China Air Force AIDC F-CK Indigenous Defence Fighter , and it first ran in 1979...
engines, and uses a digital flight control system by Teleavio/Marconi in collaboration with BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, Dowty
Dowty
Dowty may refer to:*Alan Dowty, an international relations scholar*David Dowty, an American linguist.*Dowty Group, a British aircraft equipment manufacturing business.**Ultra Electronics was created by the demerger of seven Dowty companies in 1993....
and Microtecnica for actuators.
The new IBC (Industrial Baseline Configuration) prototype includes a new air brake
Air brake (aircraft)
In aeronautics, air brakes or speedbrakes are a type of flight control surface used on an aircraft to increase drag or increase the angle of approach during landing....
just behind the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
, similar to the Sukhoi Su-30
Sukhoi Su-30
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat military aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family...
, new landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
and some structural changes, with the use of more titanium and composite parts in order to reduce weight and production costs. As a result, the prototype weighs 780 kg less than the existing model, providing faster acceleration and climbing, increased maneuverability and max speed, as well as improved fuel capacity (200 kg) and cockpit visibility.
On 20 June 2011, a Military Type Certification
Type certificate
A Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft, engine, or propeller has fulfilled the regulating bodies' current prevailing airworthiness requirements for the safe conduct of...
was granted to Alenia Aermacchi for the M-346 Master by the General Directorate for Aeronautical Armaments of the Italian Ministry of Defence in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In order to complete the certification process, the M-346 development aircraft made 180 test flights, totalling 200 flights, over the previous five months and completed over 3,300 test points.
Operational history
Italian Air Force
The Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
intends to acquire a first batch of 15 low rate production M-346 aircraft. On 18 June 2009, Alenia Aermacchi announced they had received an order for the first six with an option for nine more.
The M-346 was named the winner of a competition by the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
at the IDEX
International Defence Exhibition
The International Defense Exhibition & Conference, or IDEX, is a biennial arms and defense technology sales exhibition. According to the Jane's Defense Weekly website, IDEX is the largest arms exhibition in the Middle East...
2009 defense show in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
on 25 February 2009. The official said the order involved delivery of 48 aircraft to be used for pilot training and light attack duties. A final request for proposals last year had set the requirement at 20 trainers, 20 aircraft for combat duties, and the remainder would go toward the creation of a formation flying team. However on 27 January 2010, negotiations to sign a contract have reportedly stalled over specifications.
In July 2010, the M-346 was selected by Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
(RSAF) to replace the ST Aerospace A-4SU Super Skyhawks in the Advanced Jet Training (AJT) role, currently based at BA 120 Cazaux Air Base in France. And in a press release by the Singaporean Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...
on 28 September 2010, ST Aerospace
ST Aerospace
Singapore Technologies Aerospace is a subsidiary of ST Engineering based in Singapore, with international offices and facilities located in key aviation hubs in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the US...
had been awarded the contract to acquire twelve M-346 and a ground based training system on behalf of RSAF. As stipulated in the contract, ST Aerospace will act as the main contractor to maintain the aircraft after delivery by Alenia Aermacchi while Boeing would supply the training system. Delivery date is scheduled from 2012 onwards.
On 18 November 2011 the prototype, which had been on display at the Dubai Air Show crashed after departing Dubai on return to Italy.
Operators
- Italian Air ForceItalian Air ForceThe Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
(Aeronautica Militare) - 15 aircraft on order
- Republic of Singapore Air ForceRepublic of Singapore Air ForceThe Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
(RSAF) - 12 aircraft on order