New Delhi, 23rd January, 2025: Italian aerospace and defence major Leonardo is eyeing the possibility of bringing its globally recognised fighter pilot training expertise and capabilities to India, as the country scales up its defence requirements and modernises pilot training for new-generation fighter aircrafts to meet the growing demand for advanced training from partner and allied states.
The company is committed to support the training of India’s fighter pilots through a customized Advanced/Lead-In Fighter Training programme that meets India’s growing pilot requirements, strengthens local defence capabilities, and opens doors for long-term co-operation.
Leonardo’s interest comes at a time when India needs advanced and efficient training for pilots operating 4th generation fighters and weighs options for also stepping into the 5th generation in the future.
Leonardo’s fighter pilot training comprehensive value proposition for the global market is based on both stand-alone, customized proposals combining the M-345 and / or M-346 training systems for Air Forces who want to cover the entire training spectrum owning these capabilities at home.
The company’s proven M-346 training ecosystem, designed to deliver the advanced phases of training before pilot transition to frontline fighters, which combines modern jet trainers with ground simulators and the ever evolving Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) environment allows air forces to shift a large part of training from expensive fighters to simulators.
With 20 worldwide users, around 160 aircraft sold and over 150,000 flight hours logged in operational service with customers and through the unique training capabilities delivered by the International Flight Training School (IFTS) deployed in collaboration with the Italian Air Force, the M-346 has established itself as the most complete training system for fighter pilots and is meeting evolving needs for cost/effective combat operations and aerobatic duties. The Block 20 with its latest advancements allow for its superior advantages and characteristics to evolve further, ideally positioning the M-346 as the aircraft of choice in its category for the emerging and demanding requirements of Europe and non-European operators.
Between Summer 2022 and Autumn 2025, IFTS delivered a total of 18,000+ flight hours on real aircraft, an equal amount of flight hours via simulation, completing more than 170 courses for pilot students, approximately 70% of them foreigners (from 12 different nations from Europe, Asia, Middle East and North America).
The aircraft can be effectively used as a Light Fighter / Attack asset (i.e. M-346 F Block20) capable to cover Air-to-Ground and Air-to-Air combat missions without sacrificing its unmatched capability as an Advanced Jet Trainer for fast jet fighter pilots.The M-346 F Block 20 is equipped with an AESA (Advanced Electronically Scanned Array) radar, an high-end comms suite with tactical data link and a high level of mission configurability.
The aircraft has seven external store stations, six on the wings and one under the fuselage. The underwing and under fuselage stations are equipped with removable external pylons (Role Equipment), each embedding a pneumatic ejector release unit. The seven external hard points can carry an extensive variety of weapons and external stores, including general-purpose, laser and GPS guided weapons, such as Air-to-Air missiles, Air to Ground bombs, Gun pod (20 mm), Recce pod and Laser designator pod.
All of this is testament not just to the technology but also to the huge amount of rapidly growing knowledge and experience the Company is continuously logging as the number of air forces and pilots choosing these solutions keeps growing, enhancing Leonardo’s understanding of how needs evolve and allowing constant adaptation and improvement of its solution, with mutual benefits.
So, what’s Leonardo’s advanced fighter pilot training value proposition made of?
- The Leonardo training ecosystem is designed to deliver high performance advanced training.
- M-346 can be operated as light fighter solution able to operate air to ground and air to air operations.
- Large simulator usage can cut significant real aircraft flying hours by simulating tactical realism and training effectiveness leading to major cost savings.
- ETTS (Embedded Tactical Training System) and Full Mission Simulators replicate complex combat scenarios, improving pilot preparedness.
- Block-20 upgrade will give the M-346 a future-ready avionics suite even more aligned with evolving 4th generation, 5th and next-generation workflows.
- An advanced Ground Based Training System (GBTS) with full state-of-art training devices, including Full Mission Simulators and Leonardo’s proven and innovative Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) environment for maximum effectiveness.
While many global defence manufacturers focus on aircraft sales, technology transfer, and local sustainment, Leonardo stands apart through its bespoke, complete training capability model. This ecosystem brings together real aircraft, ground-based simulators, LVC technology, and a complete end-to-end pilot training system. This integrated approach serves as a unique differentiator, offering not just an aircraft but a comprehensive, future-ready training ecosystem tailored for modern warfare.
Why is Leonardo focusing on India?
When engaged with India’s air defence ecosystem, Leonardo’s capabilities can support the country’s ambition of preparing pilots for both current and next-generation advanced platforms, while enabling dynamic and complex training scenarios that enhance operational readiness and reduce environmental impact.
India’s fighter fleet—featuring aircraft such as the Tejas, Rafale, and Sukhoi—is expanding even as older models are being phased out, increasing the demand for well-trained pilots. India’s diverse climates, including coastal, desert, and tropical environments, also make it a strong contender for M-346 operations, which have already proven effective in hot and humid regions such as the Middle East and South East Asia.
