News Story: Taiwan Advanced Jet Trainer Nears Bidding Process

M-346 Master (Image: Wiki Commons)

Wendell Minnick and Tom Kington

TAIPEI, Taiwan, and ROME — Leonardo-Finmeccanica has launched a massive public relations effort in Taiwan to save an agreement with a local aviation company to honor a 2014 deal to co-build the M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for filling Taiwan’s air force requirement for 66 aircraft to replace aging AT-3 Tzu Chung attack/trainers.

The local aviation company, Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), signed a teaming agreement for the transfer of technology, co-production and technical assistance for the M-346, but the election of a new president, Tsai Ing-wen, has thrown a wrench into the deal.

Tsai has pledged to develop indigenous weapon systems and wean Taiwan off its dependence on foreign-made arms.

Tsai has put AIDC and the Air Force in a difficult position. The new government wants to build a completely indigenous trainer, dubbed the XAT-5 AJT, according to a senior AIDC official. The Leonardo agreement is still in effect, he said, but the new president wants to change it.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Italian Firm Sees Quality of Products Overcoming India Blacklist Threat

Tom Kington

Leonardo-Finmeccanica Head Optimistic About US T-X Trainer Bid

FARNBOROUGH, England — The CEO of Italy’s Leonardo-Finmeccanica has said the quality of his firm’s products may be enough to persuade India to drop plans to blacklist it from future tenders.

“You have to respect the Indian decision, but I think in a patient and clever way we can recreate conditions because we have important systems that India needs, and in every field I hope we can reopen a good relationship with India,” Mauro Moretti told Defense News at the Farnborough International Airshow.

In May, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced Leonardo-Finmeccancia would be blacklisted in India in the wake of allegations it offered bribes to win a €560 million (US $620 million) Indian Air Force helicopter contract in 2010.

At the time, the firm played down the announcement, saying its business was “very marginal” in India, despite fears it would lose a valuable torpedo contract from the country.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Industry: Finmeccanica at DSA Exhibition - Opportunities in Malaysia and South East Asia

• Finmeccanica has a well-established presence on the continent and is a partner of the Armed Forces of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Australia
• Business prospects for naval and antisubmarine helicopters, air defence and coastal monitoring radars and tactical transport aircraft 

Today sees the opening in Malaysia of the fifteenth edition of Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2016, one of the most important security and defence technologies exhibitions, held every two years in the capital. Finmeccanica – whose Shareholders will vote to change the company’s name to Leonardo – is taking part in the event, building on a well-established presence in South East Asia, and with significant prospects in what is viewed as one of the most promising markets in the world.

News Story: (Thailand) PM puts hurry up on defence budgets

South Korean KAI T-50 Trainer (File Photo)

Air force delays plan for new jet fighters

Writer: Wassana Nanuam

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is pushing the military to more quickly draft its spending plans for the 2016 fiscal year and submit them within the month. 

Air Force commander ACM Treetod Sonjance said the Defence Ministry, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, the Royal Thai Army, the Royal Thai Navy and the Royal Thai Air Force are expected to prepare their budgets by mid-January.

He said Gen Prayut, who is also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), wants to see how the armed forces and other military units prioritise their spending.

The Royal Thai Air Force has no plan to procure new fighter jets in the next budget year, ACM Treetod said. It will focus on upgrades and maintenance instead.

Preliminary plans call for upgrades to the air force's fleet of F-5 jets at the Nakhon Sawan-based Wing 4 division. The aircraft have been in service for over 30 years.

A Defence Ministry source said the proposed defence spending is likely to be a little higher than the amount approved in 2015. It is estimated to be around 193 billion to 200 billion baht.

According to the source, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved a defence budget of 192 billion baht, about 550 million baht lower than the proposed 193.49 billion baht.

Read the full story at BangkokPost

News Story: Alenia Aermacchi Sets Its Sights on Thai Trainer Contest

M-346 Master (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons)

By ANDREW CHUTER

SINGAPORE — Thailand is the next regional target for the M-346 jet trainer maker Alenia Aermacchi, according to Giovanni Timossi, the company's vice president of sales in Asia.

A request for proposals (RfPs) for eight to 10 jet trainers is expected to be released next month, he said. No other advanced trainer RfPs are in the pipeline for the region at the moment, said Timossi.

The South Korean T-50 provides the main opposition in the region, having already scored a deal in Indonesia and been selected in the Philippines.

Indonesia is also looking at reviving the BAE Systems Hawk jet trainer fleet it has had in the inventory for years.

The British had a team in the country earlier this year to look at what is required to restore the Hawk to former levels of availability, according to BAE executives. BAE said there is no prospect of an upgrade to the 32 Hawks remaining in the Indonesian fleet at this time.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Industry: ST Aerospace and Alenia Aermacchi set to deliver last of 12 M-346 aircraft ordered by RSAF

M-346 Master (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons)

Singapore, 12 February 2014 – ST Aerospace and Alenia Aermacchi will deliver the last of the 12 M-346 new generation advanced trainers to the RSAF in March 2014, following the contract that was signed in late 2010. Currently, a total of 10 aircraft have been delivered along with the delivery of the relevant ground based training system and the associated M-346 initial logistics support package. 

In February 2013, the RSAF commenced the pilot training in its Advanced Training School at the Cazaux Air Base in France, while in March 2013 the first training flight for a pilot trainee in the M-346 was successfully conducted. This event marked the beginning of the full spectrum 3rd Generation Integrated Pilot Training System for the RSAF and it was also an important milestone for the M-346 programme. The close collaboration between ST Aerospace ("Prime Contractor") and its partners, Alenia Aermacchi and The Boeing Company, has allowed for the achievement of these important milestones. 

ST Engineering

ST AEROSPACE & ALENIA AERMACCHI ROLL-OUT FIRST M-346 FOR THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIR FORCE

M-346 Master (Wiki Info)

Venegono Superiore (Varese), Italy 7 August 2012 – The first M-346 advanced trainer for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was rolled out in a ceremony held at Alenia Aermacchi’s plant in Venegono Superiore, Italy.

In September 2010, ST Aerospace, as the prime contractor, teaming with Alenia Aermacchi (a Finmeccanica company) and The Boeing Company, was awarded a contract to supply 12 M-346 aircraft and ground based training system for the RSAF’s Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) programme.

The roll-out ceremony was attended by officials from the RSAF, key representatives from ST Aerospace, The Boeing Company and Alenia Aermacchi, as well as staff representatives involved in the programme.

“We signed the contract less than two years ago and today we have rolled out the first of twelve M-346 aircraft for the RSAF’s Advanced Jet Trainer programme. This is a particularly important moment for our company, a great team job has been achieved in strict collaboration with our industrial counterpart, ST Aerospace, and we are proud to celebrate together with them”. ~ Giuseppe GIORDO, Alenia Aermacchi’s CEO, and Responsible for Finmeccanica’s Aeronautics Sector

“The successful rollout of the first M-346 illustrates the firm commitment by ST Aerospace and Alenia Aermacchi, in support of the RSAF’s next generation training needs. Together with our partners we will continue to marry the strengths of one another to deliver an outstanding solution to our customer.” ~ CHANG Cheow Teck, President, ST Aerospace

The rollout follows the obtaining of the type certificate and the first flight made by this aircraft in July 2012. The delivery of the first M-346 is scheduled for the end of 2012.

Background

The M-346 is the ideal platform for a latest-generation integrated training system. The versatility of the M-346 allows for its configuration as an affordable advanced combat aircraft. The innovative technical characteristics of the M-346 provide for a high degree of safety and low acquisition and operating costs. The M-346 has been designed using the latest “design-to-cost” and “design-to-maintain” concepts, with an avionics system modeled on those used in new-generation fighter aircraft, such as Eurofighter, Gripen, Rafale, F-22 and the F-35.

The M-346 received its Military Type Qualification Certificate from the Italian Ministry of Defence - National Armaments Directorate in June 2011, an essential requirement to certify the full correspondence to aircraft specifications and to international military requirements.

In September 2010, the Singapore Government signed the contract for 12 M-346 and ground-based training systems under the AJT replacement programme. This contract was signed with the consortium, formed by ST Aerospace (prime contractor), Alenia Aermacchi and Boeing. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery this year. Alenia Aermacchi also finalised contracts in June 2011 with ST Aerospace to provide logistics support to the RSAF’s fleet of M-346.

ST Engineering