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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
24 Oct 24. Can the UK afford to pursue two medium helicopter programmes?
There will be a certain give-and-take when it comes to balancing the New Medium Helicopter and Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability programmes amid Britain’s financial constraints.
medium-lift helicopter at the Farnborough International Air Show, 24 July 2024. This helicopter is the single tender left in the UK’s New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme. Credit: Author.
Britain’s commitment to Nato’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme may contend with its sovereign New Medium Helicopter (NMH) project.
A mix of interrelated factors – including Nato, the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and the UK’s lethargic fiscal policy – will come together to cast some doubt on the full procurement of both programmes.
NGRC and NMH respond to two different needs in scope and timing.
NGRC, under the management of the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), aims to idenitify next generation technologies, capabilities and architectures being investigated by industry which could lead to initiatives for a medium helicopter solution only in the longer term.
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK are all participants, having signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month to identify a single preferred solution by the end of 2027, ready to begin development from 2030.
Meanwhile, the UK’s NMH has always been intended to meet an urgent operational need to replace an ageing fleet of multi-role, medium-lift utility helicopters which are rapidly nearing their life-cycle limit.
Left with only a single tender in what was meant to be a competitive acquisition process, the NMH programme saw the exit of the Lockheed Martin UH-60 Black Hawk and Airbus H145 helicopters. Leonardo UK, with its AW149 design, is the only supplier left in the running according to the UK government on 8 October 2024.
British finances sink
The prospect of an either/or scenario stems from the considerable strain on Britain’s public finances. The country is facing a £22bn ($28.5bn) “black hole”. The government is committed to chipping away at the deficit through stringent cost-cutting measures that will doubtless impact UK defence priorities.
However, this is unlikely to be raised in the budget statement next week. Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general at the British security policy think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, determined that “this additional resource, even if a firm timetable is agreed in the Budget this month, will not be enough to avoid hard choices, given the threats which the UK and its allies are likely to face in the coming years.”
Their refusal to raise defence spending to this level, even if achieved over the next few years – content to straddle the line of Nato’s 2% benchmark indefinitely – leaves the country unable to pursue two different medium-lift helicopter programmes at once.
NMH meets the UK’s urgent requirements
The Labour government will present its primary concerns in the SDR, due sometime in the first half of 2025, as the country enters a volatile security environment this decade. The military needs to be prepared for what is to come over the next few years – with some analysts suggesting the UK ought to be ready by 2028 to fight the Russians.
This would place importance on the NMH as the more timely programme. The deadline to submit a tender was in August this year, and the Ministry of Defence has already moved on to review whether Leonardo UK is able to meet the national requirements.
The Leonardo bid is promising considering the company is able to manufacture 60% of the AW149 helicopter in the UK at its Yeovil facility, and could address a global market for 500 medium-sized miltiary helicopters, “potentially worth bns in UK exports,” a Leonardo spokesperson told Airforce Technology.
Leonardo is positive, not just for its bid, but for programme progression. “The opportunity provided by having a sole bidder is that the acquisition can now be accelerated, saving time/costs and delivering this urgently-required capability into the hands of our armed forces as quickly as possible.”
After this, Ministers will then determine the feasibility of the acquisition in line with the UK’s strategic priorities which will be enshrined in the SDR next year.
Nato first means give, not take
In July, Nato awarded contracts to rotorcraft manufacturers Airbus, Leonardo and Sikorsky to carry out integrated platform concept studies – also known as ‘Study 5’. These studies – each comprising up to two concepts – will be delivered in October 2025, enabling the NSPA to prepare its report to the participants.
Declaring a “Nato first” defence strategy upon entering government for the first time after a decade and a half in the political wilderness, the Labour government will need to contribute British innovation to NSPA efforts for near-future medium helicopter technologies.
“If the focus is on ‘Nato First’, this suggests a prioritisation of the capabilities needed for short-notice defence of the homeland and Nato allies against Russia,” Chalmers maintained.
While the NMH fulfils the domestic requirement when it comes to filling a gap in the rotary capabilities in the UK Armed Forces, the government must also ensure its contributions to its ‘allies against Russia’ through the NGRC are strictly within its means.
Given the NGRC programme has only just begun – effectively this month – the UK should focus on what it can provide its partners, besides what it can take from them in this NSPA project. While the British defence industry is partly lacking in the rotorcraft sector, it can still contribute avionics among other things necessary to power a common Nato platform.
Meanwhile, US and European companies are already leading the charge when it comes to integrating emerging technologies into their early concept designs.
A spokesperson from Lockheed Martin, the parent group of Sikorsky, stated that they can derive from “years of investment and rigorous flight testing with multiple X2 technology demonstrators have proven its ability to change the future airspace.” This innovation provides twice the speed and twice the range of traditional helicopters, according to a company statement. “Our X2 aircraft will feature 1LMX efficiencies and 21st Century Security technology.”
Likewise, Bell Helicopters will support Leonardo in its bid for the NGRC having signed a deal to cooperate in the field of tilt-rotor technology in February. A Bell spokesperson commented “Bell and Leonardo share a multi-decade history of vertical lift technology collaboration.”
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
22 Oct 24. UK Fleet Solid Support ship programme achieves preliminary design review milestone. The Spanish/UK industry consortium Team Resolute has successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme.
In a 21 October statement, Navantia said the PDR was completed during working sessions held between the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Navantia UK as prime contractor for the programme, and BMT, which led the functional design phase.
According to Navantia, the PDR milestone confirmed the robustness and maturity of the design and enables the programme to transition from engineering functional design into the detailed design phase. The programme remains on track to start construction of the lead vessel as planned in 2025, the shipbuilder added.
Team Resolute – led by prime contractor Navantia UK, a subsidiary of Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia, and including BMT and Harland & Wolff – was awarded a GBP1.6 bn (USD2 bn) contract to deliver the three-ship FSS programme on 18 January 2023 after being selected as the preferred bidder in November 2022.
The FSS ships are being procured to replace RFA Fort Austin, RFA Fort Rosalie , and RFA Fort Victoria and will provide munitions, stores, and provisions to the UK Carrier Strike Group while under way at sea. Fort Austin and Fort Rosalie were sold to Egypt in 2021, while Fort Victoria is scheduled to retire in 2028. (Source: Janes)
22 Oct 24. NSPA progresses NGRC future rotorcraft effort with MOU. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has advanced the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme, with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the five participating countries on 17 October.
With the NGRC concept phase due to launch in 2026, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom each signed the MOU to identify a single preferred solution by the end of 2027, thereby enabling the development of this solution in 2030.
NGRC studies
“Launched in 2020 and managed by [the] NSPA through its Support Partnership (SP), the NGRC programme aims to replace medium multirole capabilities, ending their life cycle in 2035 and beyond,” the NSPA said.
“The agency is currently managing the initial concept studies for the programme. In July 2024 [the] NSPA awarded contracts to rotorcraft manufacturers Airbus, Leonardo, and Sikorsky to carry out integrated platform concept studies – also known as Study 5. These studies – each comprising up to two concepts – will be delivered in October 2025, enabling [the] NSPA to prepare its report to the nations,” it added.
NGRC aims to develop a new medium-lift rotorcraft to replace more than 900 medium platforms that will reach the end of their life cycles in the 2035–40 timeframe, and with a required cruise speed of 220 kt, speed is the defining objective of the effort. (Source: Janes)
15 Oct 24. Delivery of UK F-35B force to reach 50% completion by end-2024. Earlier in 2024, the UK’s fleet reached 34 platforms and is expected to be bolstered by a further delivery by the end of the year.
The UK is expected to receive another batch of three F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters before the end of 2024, as the programme moves towards the 50% delivery mark for the initial commitment for 74 aircraft.
On 8 October 2024, Luke Pollard, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, stated that “against the current schedule”, it was projected by the end of the calendar year the UK will have taken ownership of 37 F-35B fighters.
Currently, the UK has received 34 fighters, operated by the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) 617 Squadron and the Royal Navy’s (RN) 809 Naval Air Squadron. A joint RAF/RN Operational Conversion Unit, 207 Squadron, also assists the joint F-35B force.
In October 2024 the first F-35Bs assigned to 809 Naval Air Squadron embarked on the RN aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in exercises in UK waters, the first time in nearly 15 years that an RN fighter has flown from an RN flattop.
A single UK F-35B fighter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during takeoff from the sister ship of HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Queen Elizabeth, during the previous Carrier Strike Group operations in 2021.
While the aircraft wreck was recovered by Western forces following an international scramble for its secrets, with Russia keen to get its hands on the salvage, it was unable to be returned to service.
HMS Prince of Wales will host a joint RAF/RN F-35B force in 2025 in a deployment expected to head through the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and into the Asia-Pacific region.
An under-strength 617 Squadron deployed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 for the inaugural deployment of the Royal Navy’s new carrier, with the air wing augmented by F-35Bs from the US Marine Corps.
F-35: the only game in Nato’s fighter town
As the sole tier one partner to the US-led F-35 programme, the UK has been closely aligned with the build effort and has a commitment to acquire at least 74 of the aircraft, although this figure has dipped significantly from the 138 airframes set as the initial upper limit.
The previous Conservative government stated in 2022 that Full Operating Capability (FOC) for the UK F-35B force was expected in 2025, when both squadrons would be able to operational deploy. In 2021, senior defence officials speaking at the DSEI show in London stated that 2023 was the planned FOC target.
The F-35 has been widely adopted by Nato countries and US allies around the world, having never lost a competition in which it was permitted to enter. Recent wins include Finland, Switzerland, and Germany, which will join other current or planned European operators including Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
20 Oct 24. Global Combat Air Programme update. Defence Secretary John Healey attended the G7 Defence Ministers summit in Naples where he discussed progress on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
Defence Secretary John Healey MP at a trilateral meeting with Japan and Italy to discuss the Global Combat Air Programme.
Defence Secretary John Healey today attended the G7 Defence Ministers summit in Naples, where he met with Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani to discuss the latest progress on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
Mr Healey congratulated Gen Nakatani on his recent appointment, and all three ministers spoke of the importance of protecting regional peace and stability in an increasingly more dangerous world.
They welcomed the excellent progress being made by the GCAP industry partners and discussed the latest on preparations for the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO), now that the UK has successfully ratified the international treaty.
Once ratified in all three Parliaments, the treaty will enter into force and the GIGO can be established. This will be the next major milestone for the programme, and is due to take place before the end of this year.
UK Defence Secretary, John Healey said: “This meeting of G7 allies takes place amid huge global uncertainty and growing Russian aggression. In these serious times, serious international partnerships are vital. It was a pleasure to meet my Japanese and Italian counterparts to discuss progress on our GCAP programme, including treaty ratification and other upcoming milestones.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
EUROPE
22 Oct 24. Portuguese Army seeks multirole helicopters. The Portuguese Army is looking to acquire new multirole helicopters, with the country’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) launching a procurement programme for EUR40.9 m (USD44.3 m). Disclosed in the Portuguese Official Gazette on 17 October, the ‘Support, Protection and Evacuation Helicopters’ (Helicópteros de Apoio, Proteção e Evacuação, HAPE) programme budget includes the helicopters, related equipment, support, and training. Portugal had previously budgeted EUR50 m to acquire multirole helicopters as part of the Military Programming Law 2023–34. The HAPE project calls for armed helicopters by 2029 to support, protect, and lift ground troops, as well as to assist in disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations. No details were provided on the number of helicopters to be purchased as part of the project. Sources have indicated to Janes that three aircraft are intended to be ordered, with an option for a fourth. (Source: Janes)
21 Oct 24. Polish government eyes Chinook buy as heavy-lift military workhorse. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has announced the country is mulling plans to purchase heavy-lift helicopters for its armed forces, opening the door for another sizable U.S. arms export to the European nation.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook is a considered option because its capabilities “are unique and immense.” He did not disclose the number of copters that would be acquired under the program.
“I believe that [the Polish military] also needs larger helicopters which could provide efficient support by transporting ‘big bags,’ or soldiers, into locations that are difficult to access,” the minister said in an interview with local news site Portal Obronny. “I have not talked about it anywhere else, but, at the ministry, we are thinking about it because … we need such gear.”
In addition to their use for military operations, the new copters could also be used by the armed forces for disaster relief operations, according to Kosiniak-Kamysz. The politician was referring to the widespread floods which hit Poland’s south-western regions last month. On Sept. 18, the Polish Ministry of National Defence announced that around 14,000 soldiers were involved in the response to the floods.
With the potential purchase in mind, Boeing, the manufacturer of the Chinook, has intensified its efforts to promote the helo in the Polish market. The company presented the aircraft at the MSPO defense industry show, the country’s largest annual industry event, which was held between Sept. 2 and 5 in Kielce, central Poland.
Should Poland decide to purchase Chinook copters for its military, this would mark another major deal to be awarded by Warsaw to Boeing. In August 2024, the Polish ministry signed a contract with the United States government to buy 96 AH-64E Apache attack copters with related gear and weapons. The deal is worth around $10bn. (Source: Defense News)
19 Oct 24. Germany says Britain taking lead on possible Eurofighters for Turkey. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that a project to possibly supply Turkey with Eurofighter jets was an effort being driven by Britain and was in the early stages.
“It is something that will continue to develop, but is now being driven forward from there (Britain),” he said when asked about potential movement on the issue at a press conference in Istanbul with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The British government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subject.
Ankara said last year it was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoons, though Germany objected to the idea. Since then, it has complained of a lack of progress on the issue and Erdogan alluded to Berlin’s reluctance until now.
“We wish to leave behind some of the difficulties experienced in the past in the supply of defence industry products and develop our cooperation,” Erdogan told reporters.
On Thursday a Turkish defence ministry official said Turkey had been conducting technical work aimed at accelerating its planned purchase of the jets.
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. (Source: Google/Reuters)
USA
22 Oct 24. US Army seeks information on contracted helicopter pilot training, potential UH-72A replacement. The US Army has released a request for information (RFI) seeking to learn how contractors might provide initial flight training for helicopter pilots, including potentially replacing the Airbus UH-72A Lakota as the service’s primary flight training helicopter.
The RFI, issued on 8 October, requests information on both government-owned, contractor-operated and contractor-owned, contractor-operated helicopters.
“The UH-72 is [a] very capable aircraft. It might be too capable to teach a basic aviator,” Major General Clair Gill told reporters on 17 October at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, DC.
“We look at what we’ve trained on in years past – and we have been through a couple generations of aircraft; they’ve been simpler aircraft, and if that’s what trains a better aviator, then I’m interested in that,” Maj Gen Gill added, referring to the Bell UH-1 and TH-67, as well as the Schweizer TH-55, all of which were single engine; TH-55 and -67 were derived from popular civilian training models.
“The second thing that I want is an affordable model [of helicopter],” added Maj Gen Gill. “I’m agnostic about the platform, but [the UH-72] is an expensive aircraft to operate.” (Source: Janes)
REST OF THE WORLD
04 Oct 24. PMA-265 and RCAF Partnership Achieves Major Milestone With Hornet Extension Project. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) recently announced that the CF-18 Hornet Extension Project (HEP) achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC), a significant accomplishment in a five-year collaborative effort with the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265). This milestone marks the delivery of the first six HEP2 upgraded fighter aircraft to 3 Wing Bagotville, Canada. In total, 84 aircraft will be upgraded through this project, which will provide all aircraft with HEP 1 interoperability upgrades and 36 aircraft with HEP 2 combat capability upgrades.
The RCAF collaborated with PMA-265’s Canadian Foreign Military Sales (FMS) team to procure various systems and weapons for the HEP. PMA-265’s FMS team facilitated these procurements to meet the RCAF’s tight deadlines.
The extension project enhances the RCAF’s CF-18 Hornets with advanced weapons and avionics capabilities, ensuring the aircraft remain deployable and interoperable as it supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s mission to protect North America. This project is crucial for maintaining RCAF readiness as it transitions from the CF-18 fighters to the next-generation CF-35A, anticipated to be fully operational in the early 2030s.
“Achieving this milestone and ensuring the timely delivery of the first six aircraft required extensive coordination and cooperation among industry partners, PMA-265 and the Navy F/A-18 enterprise, including the Air Weapons Laboratory and radar teams at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake,” said PMA-265 Canadian and Spanish F/A-18 Program Manager Don Valentine. “By executing procurement of weapons, hardware and software products to meet RCAF’s milestones, PMA-265 has provided the necessary support that has made the RCAF Hornet program an active and significant participant in international operations.”
Looking ahead, Full Operational Capability is expected in spring 2026, when all 84 CF-18s will be delivered, upgraded and operational.
PMA-265 has partnered with the RCAF for almost 45 years. Since April 1980, PMA-265’s FMS team has supported the RCAF by facilitating aircraft upgrades through U.S. Navy-developed engineering change proposals and various efforts, including procurement, delivery and integration of the Joint Direct Attack Munition weapons system, procurement and incorporation of the Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat as well as upgrades to the aircrew trainer.
PMA-265 provides critical current and future capabilities in the form of total life cycle support management for the F/A-18A-D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler weapons systems. It is responsible for acquiring, delivering and sustaining the F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft, ensuring mission success for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators, as well as international partners to include Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. (Source: ASD Network)
24 Oct 24. France trades 12 Dassault Rafales for $3.2bn in oil. Iraq is set to enhance its air force capabilities with a significant procurement of 12 Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France, a deal valued at approximately $3.2bn. Reports from various Arab media outlets highlight this development, pointing to a broader trend in Iraq’s military modernization efforts. Alongside the Rafales, Iraq will also acquire a Ground Master radar system, essential for establishing a robust air surveillance network. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense is actively evaluating plans to bolster its fleet of multi-role fighter aircraft, according to French financial newspaper La Tribune. The budget for this acquisition indicates that the first instalment of $240m has already been disbursed, with the unique arrangement stipulating that Iraq will settle the payment not in cash, but through oil deliveries to France. This innovative payment method reflects both Iraq’s abundant natural resources and its strategic economic considerations. The Rafale jets will complement the existing fleet of American-made F-16s, currently the backbone of the Iraqi Air Force. Over the past two years, France has seen a significant uptick in exports of Rafale fighter jets, more than doubling its sales. This surge is largely attributed to the high quality of the aircraft, combined with favorable conditions negotiated by Dassault Aviation in collaboration with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. In addition to the Rafale purchase, Iraq recently ordered 12 Airbus H225M Caracal transport helicopters, further enhancing its military capabilities. The Iraqi Army Aviation is expected to receive these newly built helicopters, alongside two refurbished models, marking a considerable upgrade to its operational transport capabilities. (Source: News Now/https://bulgarianmilitary.com/)
23 Oct 24. Russian state weapons giant Rostec may halt exports of its high-tech goods including jets, air defence systems and ships to fulfil the demands of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, its chief executive has warned. “Unfortunately we cannot deliver everything [for export] in time, because first and foremost it is important to supply our army,” Sergei Chemezov told senators on Wednesday. Chemezov’s comments highlight how surging domestic demand is putting pressure on Rostec, forcing it to send nearly all of its military hardware to the Russian army instead of selling it abroad. “The [Ukraine] conflict is soaking up Russian resources,” said Thomas Graham, Russia expert at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations. “It is difficult to maintain the production levels necessary to meet the military needs inside Russia, and continue to supply weapons to the export market.” Chemezov also blamed high interest rates by the Central Bank of Russia, which embarked on a monetary tightening campaign last year after the rouble started weakening and Moscow’s aggressive war spending fuelled an inflationary surge. “All profits are eaten up by the interest that we have to pay,” he said in a speech at the Russian parliament’s upper chamber. “Today, it’s a matter of us either stopping all exports of high-tech products . . . or we need to do something [else].” The CBR is expected to raise its key rate by 1 percentage point to 20 per cent on Friday, matching a peak immediately after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Rates are forecast to remain above prewar levels until 2027. Annual inflation stood at 8.6 per cent in September. Chemezov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who served alongside him in the Soviet KGB security agency in the 1980s, is the latest tycoon to criticise monetary policy, following comments by Oleg Deripaska, founder of aluminium producer Rusal, and Alexei Mordashov, chair of steelmaker Severstal. “Using borrowed funds is simply not profitable for companies,” said Chemezov. “If we continue to work like this, most companies will go bankrupt.” Tight monetary policy is not the only constraint on industrial production. In August, Chemezov said Rostec did not have the staff to fulfil the sharp rise in state orders, even though its workforce grew by 70,000 to 660,000 in 2023. The CBR has repeatedly highlighted the issue, noting that more than 70 per cent of companies are suffering labour shortages. According to an index from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think-tank, Russia’s arms exports sales fell more than 60 per cent in 2022-2024 compared with the previous three-year period. Russia’s share of the global arms supply halved from 8.8 per cent in 2021 to 4.4 per cent in 2023. Despite its declining capacity, overseas demand for Russian defence goods remains strong. Overseas orders placed with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state defence agency for overseas trade, exceeded $55bn in 2023, a record annual volume since the body was established 23 years ago. Recommended News in-depthWar in Ukraine Vladimir Putin revamps Russia’s creaking war machine But Rostec has retooled its production lines alongside other conglomerates to meet the Russian army’s demands. Last year the company’s tank ammunition production volumes were 30 times higher than in 2022, while artillery ammunition output increased six times, according to Chemezov. It also produced four times more drones in 2023 than a year earlier. Meanwhile, Chinese imports are filling a niche for civilian products such as trucks that used to be met by Rostec subsidiaries Kamaz and Avtovaz, prompting a call by Chemezov for government protection in August. “While Russian industrial companies are involved in the execution of government orders, China is very easily replacing them [in other areas],” said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. (Source: FT.com)
15 Oct 24. NAF to acquire M-346 jets and AW-109 Trekker helicopters. First three units of the 24 M-346 aircraft are expected to be delivered by early 2025. The AW109 Trekker is a multi-role helicopter for various missions including patrol, surveillance, and police operations.
The meeting provided updates on the delivery schedules, confirming that the first three units of the 24 M-346 aircraft are expected by early 2025, with subsequent deliveries continuing until mid-2026.
The additional ten AW-109 Trekker helicopters are anticipated by early 2026. These aircraft are on top of the two units already procured by the NAF.
Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar recommended the establishment of a Programme Management Office to oversee the collaboration and ensure smooth project implementation.
An aerial display by the Leonardo Aircraft Division showed the performance capabilities of the M-346, demonstrating its suitability for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
In April 2024, during a visit to the NAF headquarters, Leonardo Africa sales vice-president Claudio Sabatino reiterated the company’s strategy to delivering the M-346 fighter aircraft. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
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