Aermacchi

This the first of 14 trainers covered by the agreement signed in October 2007 between the Italian Air Force and Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica Company. The deal provides for the upgrading to Batch 2 standard of 14 MB-339CD advanced trainers built to Batch 1 standard under a previous 1995 contract and already in service with the Italian Air Force.
The 14 reconfigured aircraft will be redelivered in the course of 2009, under a schedule agreed with the Italian Air Force.

The 14 MB-339CD trainers are being upgraded mainly in their avionics system, improving their identification, communications and positioning systems, adding a digital map system and integrating night vision and embedded simulation capabilities.
The contract also includes logistics support activities to manage repairs on a selected range of aircraft components, carried out directly at the 61st Wing’s Lecce base, which introduced the MB-339CD in 1997. Through this support the Italian Air Force intends to optimise the flight potential of the MB-339 fleet, integrating its own logistic resources with those of industry.