Watch A Leonardo M-346 Drop Practice Bombs From SUU-20 Dispenser On Hungarian Range

A Leonardo M-346 superior fight coach sporting the livery of the RSAF (Republic of Singapore Air Power) was concerned in a firing marketing campaign with the SUU-20 in Hungary.

From Sept. 6 – 8, 2023, a Leonardo M-346 “Master” with Italian experimental registration CSX55166 and Singaporean livery was concerned in a firing marketing campaign over the Central Coaching and Dwell Fireplace Vary of the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) located within the Bakony mountains, in western Hungary.

The plane carried out a number of sorties over the vary, utilizing SUU-20 rocket launcher and follow bomb dispensers: the M-346 will be fitted with two such dispensers, every able to launching 4 2.75 inch diameter Folding Fin Aerial Rockets (FFAR) or carrying as much as six BDU-33D/B follow bombs.

The BDU-33 are fairly widespread dummy bombs used to “clone” the identical launch traits of the 500-lb MK-82 free fall bombs. Every BDU-33 weighs 25 kilos, has a teardrop formed metallic physique with a tube cavity lengthwise by way of the middle, a conical after physique, and a cruciform sort fin within the aft finish of the bomb physique. A firing pin, inertia tube, and striker plate are separate elements of the bomb. A receptacle is positioned ahead of the middle of gravity to put in a single suspension lug if required.

The Mk-106s is a 5-pound thin-cased cylindrical bomb used to simulate the high-drag (retarded) Mk-82 Snakeye bombs. It’s composed by a bomb physique, a retractable suspension lug, a firing machine, and box-type conical fins.

From what now we have heard, the M-346 was flown by Italian take a look at pilots whose function was to hold out testing required to combine the SUU-20/A on the RSAF M-346 (the pod is already used on the Grasp of the Polish Air Power). The primary export buyer for the sort, the RSAF chosen the Grasp in 2010 and procured a complete of 12 M-346s together with the bottom primarily based coaching system.

Benedek Levente shot an fascinating footage exhibiting the M-346 throughout its bombing runs with the SUU-20: you possibly can see the jet carry out a number of dry and “sizzling” passes, dropping dummy bombs on the vary in “degree” and “glide” occasions.



By the best way, one would possibly guess what’s the explanation for utilizing dummy free fall bombs thought of that the present and future situations require the “good” weaponry. The reason being fairly easy: this sort of coaching is extraordinarily formative. Among the assault profiles used to drop inert weapons on targets beneath visible circumstances are fairly much like these used to ship LGBs (Laser Guided Bombs).

David Cenciotti is a journalist primarily based in Rome, Italy. He’s the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of many world’s most well-known and browse navy aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for main worldwide magazines, together with Air Forces Month-to-month, Fight Plane, and plenty of others, overlaying aviation, protection, warfare, trade, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown a number of fight planes with totally different air forces. He’s a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Power, a non-public pilot and a graduate in Laptop Engineering. He has written 5 books and contributed to many extra ones.