The service says its M-345 offers capabilities turboprops cannot match and has already employed the trainer to emulate cruise missiles in an aggressor role during a NATO exercise.
Having recently reached the 2,000-flight-hour milestone with the type and with all the 18 ordered aircraft now delivered, the Italian Air Force shared some interesting insights into its experience with the M-345 jet trainer during a media briefing held at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2026.
The briefing, hosted by Leonardo, the manufacturer of the aircraft also known as M-345 HET (High-Efficiency Trainer), focused on the initial operational capability achieved by the Aeronautica Militare with the new aircraft, which began being used for actual training courses in 2024.
At the presence of Tommaso Pani, SVP Marketing and Sales of the Leonardo’s Aeronautics Division, and Commander Giacomo “Jack” Iannelli, Head of Trainers Project Test Pilot at Leonardo, Lt. Col. Simone Perricci, Commander of the 214th Gruppo (Squadron) of the 61° Stormo (Wing), from Lecce-Galatina Air Base, provided some interesting insights into the first, quite intense, two years of operations of the Italian Air Force school, on the M-345.
First and foremost, the M-345, designated T-345 by the Italian Air Force, is not “just” an aircraft but part of an integrated training system similar to that of the M-346 (T-346 in ItAF service). Ground-based training is, in fact, just as important as the aircraft used for the actual flying phase. The M-345 share a “common training philosophy” with the M-346, and the aircraft is part of an integrated netcentric system, which allowed a significant reduction in the time needed for the training while improving its quality and efficiency.
According to figures shared by Lt. Col. Perricci, the duration of the training course has been reduced from 12 to nine months. The balance between simulator sessions and actual sorties has also changed, with 35% of training activities now conducted in a virtual environment and 65% involving real flying, compared with the previous 20/80 split.
The T-345 is a basic jet trainer whose characteristics and performance can be used for the entire training syllabus, from the Primary Pilot Training to the Specialized Pilot Training. The aircraft allows the so called Jet Ab Initio [Jet from the beginning] training, making available performance characteristics which are considered crucial to prepare student pilots for next generation combat systems: speed in the range 0 – 400 knots, high G load (+7/-3) and a roll rate comparable to the one of the M-346 and other fast jets.
For this reason, both the Italian Air Force, which invested in the type and reviewed its training model accordingly, and Leonardo (which is a world leader in combat pilot training), believe jet-powered aircraft can expand basic training in ways that simply cannot be matched by turboprops.
“Student pilots need to see high speed and high G-forces, and this is exactly what the M-345 provides,” Perricci says.
Diamo il benvenuto al nuovo velivolo addestratore, che entra in servizio al 61° Stormo.
Il #T345A, prodotto da #Leonardo e dotato di avionica moderna, tecnologia all’avanguardia, elevata efficienza e flessibilità operativa, è destinato all’addestramento dei piloti militari pic.twitter.com/684Z3mZbxE
— Aeronautica Militare (@ItalianAirForce) June 12, 2025
The aircraft is equipped with the latest technologies, such as an HUD (Head Up Display), touchscreen multi-functional displays, exposing the students to systems used in front-line aircraft, since the early stages of their training path, so they can gradually improve their competencies in using advanced avionics well before reaching the OCUs (Operational Conversion Units).
The onboard systems require minimum maintenance and allow the maximum safety and reliability. While not disclosed, its operational costs are said to comparable to the ones of a turboprop aircraft. The Williams FJ44-4M-34 turbofan engine is equipped with a modern digital control system and provides a good thrust with low fuel-consumption. In that respect, Iannelli explained that the aircraft allowed to carry out test sorties up to 2-hour long, compared to the usual 50 minutes of previous generation trainers. Perricci confirmed that burning approximately 1 kg of fuel per nautical mile and 700 kg fuel tanks, the jet can fly more than 2 hours, allowing different training profiles to be carried out during the same sortie, making the training longer and more realistic.
“The jet is very efficient and very cheap,” Perricci comments.
This is why Leonardo believes there is significant export potential for the M-345 training system, either as a standalone solution or as part of a multi-aircraft training model alongside the M-346, particularly in Eastern Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.
@LDO_Aeronautics and @ItalianAirForce say the performance of jet-powered trainers remains crucial for preparing the next generation of fighter pilots who will fly fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft. pic.twitter.com/ekERMbhgUE
— The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) July 22, 2026
Aggressor role
In addition to its training activities, the 214th Squadron also took on an operational role when it participated in the NATO Tiger Meet at Araxos, Greece, as an observer: the squadron’s emblem features a cat, and the NATO Tiger Meet brings together units whose insignia depict tigers or other felines.
The squadron’s participation was not merely symbolic: the T-345 HET aircraft were employed in the aggressor role (as done 10 years ago by the T-346 during a TLP iteration). According to Perricci, two jets simulated the flight profiles of cruise missiles. One was intercepted, while the other succeeded in reaching its designated target.
“This was not a one-off experience. We have already been invited and will probably take part in the same role at next year’s NATO Tiger Meet 2027, which will be held at Gioia del Colle Air Base in Italy,” Perricci said.
