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| 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.