Austria to acquire twelve M346FA Masters
Austria retired its last Saab 105Ö aircraft after a final operational flight on 31 December 2020, after nearly 50 years as the Austrian Air Force’s jet training aircraft with Fliegerregiment…
December 28, 2024
Austria retired its last Saab 105Ö aircraft after a final operational flight on 31 December 2020, after nearly 50 years as the Austrian Air Force’s jet training aircraft with Fliegerregiment 3 at Horsching Air Base. In the interim, Austrian pilots were to be trained by the International Flight Training School (IFTS) at Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia, Italy, on the T-346A.
Funding for the purchase of a new trainer was allocated in the 2022 multi-year financial framework and the “ÖBH 2032+” development plan, and the Bundesheer General Staff evaluated a number of alternatives, including the Aero Vodochody L-39NG and the Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk, as well as Leonardo’s M346FA.
On 27 August 2024, Klaudia Tanner, the Austrian Defence Minister, said that she was reviewing an ‘interesting’ offer from the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for a joint procurement of Leonardo M346s, with a timeline that she said was ‘not that far off.’
On 28 December 2024, Tanner announced that Austria will buy 12 Leonardo M346FA aircraft for the Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte (Austrian Air Force) under a government to government agreement, and that negotiations are currently underway, with some focus on industrial co-operation and the potential involvement of Austrian businesses, in order to bring added value to the economy and to strengthen Austria’s domestic industry.
Klaudia Tanner said that: “By purchasing these jets, we are addressing a significant capability gap in our air force. This enables us to bring 100% of pilot training back to Austria while significantly enhancing air defence. It strengthens the protection of Austria, its population, and our neutrality against aerial threats.”
