Leonardo M-345 officially enters service with the Italian Air Force

The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare – AM) officially introduced the Leonardo M-345 jet trainer into service on 12 June 2025. Designated the T-345A in AM service, the M-345 will replace the MB-339 (T-339A) jet trainer, which first entered service in 1979.

Now operational with the AM’s 61st Wing at Galatina air base, the M-345s will complement the 21 M-346 (T-346A) advanced jet trainers operated by the International Flight Training School (a strategic partnership between Leonardo and the AM).

The AM has so far ordered 18 M-345s, with the first two examples delivered in December 2020, but has identified a requirement for up to 45 of them to progressively replace its fleet of MB-339s, of which around 48 are still in service.

Leonardo bills the M-345 as a jet that “delivers performance superior to those of a high-end turboprop jet at comparable operating costs”. Propelled by a single Williams FJ44-4M-34 turbofan offering 1,540 kg thrust, the M-345 has a maximum speed of 704 km/h at low altitude and 787 km/h at 20,000 ft (6,096 m) and has a service ceiling of 40,000 ft (12,192 m).

Operating as part of an integrated training system that includes full mission simulators with 360° visuals as well as part task trainers and procedural training devices, the M-345 covers both the basic and advanced stages (Phases II and III) of pilot training before pilots move on to the M-346.

As with all new-generation military jets, the M-345 features digital cockpit avionics with an advanced human–machine interface, including three colour touch-screen multi-function displays and a head-up display (HUD. The aircraft’s cockpit is designed to offer excellent external visibility with stepped tandem seating and features hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls that allow pilots to fly the aircraft without removing their hands from the main controls.

Although the M-345 was originally slated to replace the MB-339 as the new platform of Italy’s National Aerobatic Team (Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale – PAN), commonly known as the Frecce Tricolori, the AM announced in September 2024 that the twin-engine M-346 had been selected for this purpose.