The first two Leonardo M-346 aircraft have landed on the runway of the Air Force base in Galatina (Lecce) in recent days, joining the 18 Air Force aircraft already present at the 61st Wing.
The new aircraft, as foreseen in the agreement signed last July between Aeronautica Militare and Leonardo, aimed at strengthening the training offer of the Italian Air Force through the creation of the International Flight Training School (IFTS), will be used to meet the growing demand addestrativa.
The agreement between Leonardo and Aeronautica Militare for the creation of the IFTS was born from the desire to set up two national excellences in order to create synergy for the benefit of the entire country: the resources of the main Italian industrial sector in the aerospace, defense and security sector expertise of the Blue Armor in the field of military flight training.
In this context, the Galatina air base plays a role as the undisputed protagonist thanks to the consolidated experience gained over many years of operation. An essential element in the creation of IFTS is the progressive expansion up to the maximum operational capacity of the 61 ° Stormo, with the arrival in Galatina from the 2020 of the brand new M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer), called T-345 by the Italian Air Force. which will gradually replace the T-339A (used for Phase II training) and the FT-339C (used for Phase III).
The IFTS, which will focus on phase IV of the training syllabus - Lead In to Fighter Training - LIFT, preparatory to the use of pilots on the fighters, will ensure full satisfaction of the training demand of military pilots also of foreign Air Forces and provides , once the training capacity of Galatina is saturated, a possible expansion at another air base on national territory.
The training syllabus of the Italian Air Force has already demonstrated with its students pilots of various nationalities its modularity and flexibility in responding to the different needs of the Air Forces which, at the 61 ° Stormo di Galatina (Lecce), have already been formed with preparatory hunt for fourth and fifth generations.
The operational training, carried out in large part on the T-346A, is preparatory to the aerotactic line, that of the latest generation fighters such as Eurofighter and F-35. Moreover, at the base of the Air Force of Galatina (Lecce) the LVC (Live, Virtual and Constructive Simulation) technology is operative, which characterizes the advanced M-346 simulation system and that allows the students to interact, through the simulator , with pilots in flight within the same training mission.
Notes for editors
Il 61 ° Stormo of the Italian Air Force has the task of providing flight training on jets:
- Phase II - Primary Pilot Training, common to all students military pilots, aimed at identifying the lines on which they will fly (fighters, remote piloting (RPA), helicopters, transport);
- Phase III - Specialized Pilot Training, addressed exclusively to the pilots selected for the "Fighter" and "RPA" lines. It ends with the achievement of the Military Pilot Patent (turreted eagle);
- Phase IV - Lead In to Fighter Training - LIFT, preparatory to the subsequent employment on Fighters aircraft;
- of military pilots to qualify Flight Instructors on jets (Pilot Instructor Training- PIT).
Currently the 61 ° Stormo hosts sailing personnel from eight foreign countries.
Leonardo has designed, industrialized, produced and supported over 2.000 trainers, sold in more than 40 nations. Today it is a world leader in the training sector thanks to a product range that covers the entire training path, from the basic phase with the new M-345 up to the advanced one with the M-346. The offer is completed by a Ground Based Training System (GBTS), perfectly integrated with the aircraft and able to ensure a high quality training in the face of significant management efficiencies. These platforms and systems make it possible to offer customers all over the world a "turnkey" training solution able to guarantee the highest quality standards at every stage of the training.