During the upcoming G20 summit, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro next month, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will discuss with the Brazilian president an agreement to supply 30 Leonardo M-346 combat aircraft to Brazil.
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The proposal includes the delivery of 24 units for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and “at least six” for the Brazilian Navy, according to information from Brazilian media.
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Preliminary negotiations have already taken place between the two countries, and the M-346s destined for Brazil may be equipped with Brazilian-made electronic systems and armaments to meet the specific needs of the country’s armed forces.
The FAB, which seeks to replace the aging AMX jets developed in collaboration with Italy in the 1980s, considers the M-346 a modern and viable option to complement the Gripen fighters already in operation. “The Brazilian Air Force urgently needs a replacement for the AMX, and the M-346 is a modern and affordable solution that will complement the Swedish Gripen fighters,” commented a source from the Brazilian government.
If realized, the contract with Leonardo will provide the FAB and the Brazilian Navy with a new fleet of light attack aircraft, intended to replace the FAB’s AMX and the Navy’s AF-1 (McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk). For the Navy, Leonardo proposed a variant of the M-346 called the T-100, which also competed in a combat training program in the United States, the TX, to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon; a competition won by the Boeing/Saab T-7 Red Hawk.
In July 2024, during the Farnborough Air Show, Leonardo presented the M-346 Block 20 variant to Brazil, optimized for light attack missions and aligned with the FAB’s requirements. The M-346 is a subsonic jet designed for advanced training with two seats, following a similar concept to the A-1 AMX, which is also subsonic.
Originally developed by the Italian Aermacchi in collaboration with the Russian Yakovlev as the Yak-130, the M-346 project has been conducted independently following the separation of the companies. Currently, the M-346 is in operation in the air forces of six countries: Italy, Poland, Qatar, Greece, Israel, and Singapore, offering versatility for both training and light combat missions.
This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team. Photo and video: X @Leonardo_IT / flickr