Leonardo announced that the Polish Ministry of Defense has exercised the options for the acquisition of an additional four M-346 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) provided for in the contract signed in March 2018. euros, includes logistical support and an update of the IFF system of the entire fleet of Polish M-130s to the NATO standard STANAG 346 Edition 4193 developed by Leonardo. With this acquisition, the Polish Air Force concludes the modernization process of the fleet of advanced training aircraft. With a fleet of 3 aircraft, which will be completed by 16, Poland becomes the second largest export customer of Leonardo's advanced trainer. To date, the M-2022s ordered by Italy, Poland, Singapore and Israel are a total of 346.
Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo's Managing Director, he has declared: "Today Leonardo and the Polish Ministry of Defense have taken an important step towards the modernization of the Polish Air Force. We are proud of this further demonstration of trust by this important customer. In this way, we further strengthen our close cooperation with Poland".
Lucio Valerio Cioffi, Head of Leonardo's Aircraft Division, said: "Thanks to our training system of which the fleet of 16 M-346s is a part, the Polish Air Force will have an exceptional and state-of-the-art training capability that will benefit its next generation of pilots.".
Thanks to over 50 years of experience in the sector, Leonardo's advanced training solutions allow an Air Force cadet to obtain the pilot qualification for the latest generation fighters with a cost reduction of up to 50%. M-346 consolidates Leonardo's presence in Poland, where the company employs 3000 highly qualified employees in the helicopter plant in Świdnik, Lublin. Leonardo boasts a long-standing collaboration with the Polish group PGZ as part of the Rosomak program relating to the supply of the 30 mm Hitfist turret to the Polish Army, and then contributes significantly to the security of the country through various programs including supply of the ground component dedicated to the management and analysis of data from the COSMO-SkyMed earth observation satellites and radar systems for air defense and coastal surveillance systems.
Leonardo is among the top ten companies in the world in Aerospace, Defense and Security and the leading Italian industrial company.Organized in seven business divisions (Helicopters; Aircraft; Aerostructures; Avionics and Space Systems; Electronics for Land and Naval Defense; Systems of Defense; Systems for Security and Information), Leonardo competes on the most important international markets by leveraging its areas of technological and product leadership. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2017 Leonardo recorded restated consolidated revenues of € 11,7 billion and boasts a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, the USA and Poland.