UAE Seeks 48 M-346 for Trainer, Attack
Feb 25, 2009
| By Andy Nativi |
 The United Arab Emirates is slated to begin to take delivery of the first of 48 Alenia Aermacchi M-346 in 2012 following the type’s selection to meet the air force’s requirement for an advanced jet trainer. The selection of the M-346 in preference to the South Korean KAI T-50 was announced during the IDEX defense show here. The aircraft will replace BAE Systems’ Hawk Mk63A, 63C and 102 currently in service. An advanced variant of the Hawk, the Mk128, was also a contender, but was discounted before the final selection. The M-346 will be used as a lead in trainer for the UAE air force’s Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60 and the Dassault Mirage 2000-9. The choice of the M-346 also addresses the Persian Gulf state’s aerospace industry ambitions. Development of the M-346 as an advanced jet trainer is not fully complete, and the light-attack version is still in early form. The UAE has the “option”, says Alenia Aermacchi CEO Carmelo Cosentino, to ask for a final assembly line. This assembly line is to be established by a joint venture that will see the local giant Mubadala as the majority shareholders. Nevertheless, due to the tight delivery schedule, at least the first four aircraft are to be built in Italy. Photo: Lockheed Martin
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