Polish Air Force M346 delivery
In March 2018, the Leonardo press office announced that the Sily Powietrzne RP (Polish Air Force) ordered four additional M346s with a contract value of 115 million Euro’s. the four advanced jet training aircraft should all be delivered in 2020.
The first M346 of the additional order, serial 7709, was delivered to Poland on 5 october 2020 followed by the second one (serial 7710) on 20 october 2020. The third one (serial 7711) was seen flying in full colours at Varese/Venegono in October 2020 and will be deliverd soon. The fourth and last one (most problably serial 7712) has not been seen yet.
These four M346s will join the fleet of eight aircraft already in service since their delivery between november 2016 and october 2017 and are operated by the 48. Eskadra Lotnicza (48.el)/4. Skrzydło Lotnictwa Szkolnego (4.SLSz, 4th Flying Training Wing) at Dêblin air base.
Poland is, besides Italy, the only European user of the Alenia Aermacchi M346 Master advanced jet trainer which is developed in order to economically produce pilot’s training, and which features a cockpit layout resembling the cockpits utilized in case of the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, Eurofighter Typhoon or even the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II.
Photos: Fabrizio Capenti