First M-346 Trainers Delivered To Greece

The primary two superior jet trainers arrived at Kalamata Air Base, the place they may progressively change the out of date T-2 Buckeye.

The primary two Leonardo M-346B Grasp Superior Jet Trainers of the Hellenic Air Power have been delivered to Kalamata Air Base on Could 11, 2023. The 2 plane, with the tail numbers 250 and 251, departed within the morning from Leonardo’s services in Venegono and, after a fuel stop at Lecce-Galatina Air Base, landed at their new house within the early afternoon, escorted by two T-2 Buckeye trainers.

In keeping with local media, the coaching plane have been accompanied by 20 HAF technicians that have been skilled in Italy by Leonardo over the past months. The reviews additionally point out the return to Kalamata of six instructors skilled in Israel on the IAF M-346 “Lavi”. From the video, it seems that the M-346 have been delivered by combined Leonardo-HAF crews, so it not identified if some instructors have been skilled by Leonardo too.

As we reported in 2021, Greece is making a joint worldwide faculty with Israel at Kalamata Air Base, house of the one hundred and twentieth Air Coaching Wing. Elbit Programs has been chosen for the creation of the college and can be accountable for the supply and operation of ten M-346 trainers, in addition to the upkeep of the HAF T-6 Texan II fleet.

The primary 2 new 🇬🇷coaching Plane M-346 landed. New period!!! WELCOME#Hellenic_MOD #HNDGS pic.twitter.com/eVHuAFr07Z

— Hellenic Air Power (@HAFspokesperson) May 11, 2023

The HAF has been working for a complete renovation of the coaching as new advanced aircraft like the F-16 Block 70/72, the Rafale and the F-35 be part of the fighter fleet, and thus changing the out of date T-2E Buckeye (of which 40 have been purchased and fewer than 10 are nonetheless operational) and restoring the T-6A Texan II (45 purchased however with restricted availability as a result of the shortage of assist).

The T-6 fleet was in a really precarious state, however the state of affairs seems to be enhancing, with a brand new logistics heart and assist for the plane already operational. The T-2 Buckeye, however, is now out of date and never even near fulfill the necessities of contemporary pilot coaching. Additionally, the support for the T-2E is set to end this year, with the M-346 progressively changing the Buckeye.

Greek medias reported that the T-2 can be changed via the leasing of recent plane, so it’s doable that the new Masters will be owned and operated by Elbit as an alternative of the HAF, though they may put on the nationwide insignia.

Stefano D’Urso is a contract journalist and contributor to TheAviationist primarily based in Lecce, Italy. A graduate in Industral Engineering he is additionally learning to realize a Grasp Diploma in Aerospace Engineering. Digital Warfare, Loitering Munitions and OSINT strategies utilized to the world of navy operations and present conflicts are amongst his areas of experience.