M-346 Master Aviation Training System in Poland this year
The ceremony of presenting the first M-346 built for the Polish Air Force - from left to right: Leonardo Aircraft Managing Director Filippo Bagnato, Deputy Minister of National Defense Bartosz Kownatsky, Deputy Secretary of State at the Italian Ministry of Defense Gioacchino Alfano, Air Force Inspector Brig. drank. Tomasz Drewniak. Photo by Leonardo Aircraft
Aviation training is at a turning point in its evolutionary history. Modern technologies allow you to reconsider your assumptions and expected effects. The main drivers of change are the need to reduce training costs, reduce the duration of the full training cycle, take over training tasks from combat units, as well as meet the requirements of modern weapons systems and the increasing complexity of the modern battlefield.
As a result of a tender for a comprehensive system of advanced training for aviators, the Ministry of National Defense selected the M-346 as a new training aircraft for the Polish military aviation. The contract was signed on February 27, 2014 in Deblin, it provides for the supply of eight aircraft with a technical and logistical package and support for ground training of flight crews. The contract value is 280 million euros. According to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense, Alenia Aermacchi's (today's Leonardo Aircraft) offer was the most profitable among the companies participating in the tender and the only one that was in line with the 1,2 billion złoty budget adopted by the ministry. . Optionally, it was planned to purchase four more cars.
On September 3, 2014, during the 28th International Defense Industry Exhibition in Kielce, a representative of the manufacturer announced that the first work on completing the first aircraft for Poland had begun. On July 2015, 6, Alenia Aermacchi presented a painting sample agreed with the Polish side. On June 2016, 346, a roll-out ceremony took place at the plant in Venegono, i.e. the first M-7701 aircraft for Poland rolled off the assembly line. The machine has tactical number 4. A month later, on July 2016, 346, it first took to the air at the factory airfield. The first two M-41s are to be delivered to the XNUMXst Demblin Air Training Base by the end of this year.
The developed training system for Polish military aviation in a comprehensive perspective will consist of initial training conducted at the Air Force Academy in cooperation with the Academic Aviation Training Center; basic using PZL-130 Orlik aircraft (TC-II Garmin and TC-II Glass Cockpit) and advanced using M-346A. When we receive the M-346 aircraft, we will upgrade our PZL-130 Orlik fleet to TC-II Glass Cockpit standard and take advantage of the training opportunities of the Academic Aviation Training Center in Deblin, the Polish aviation training system will be completely digitally based. This will serve as a good basis for the establishment of an International Aviation Training Center in Dęblin in the next few years with the status of one of NATO's key aviation training centers.
