Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master

M-346 Master
An M-346FA carrying AIM-9 air-to-air missiles arrives at the 2017 Royal International Air Tattoo.
General information
Type	jet trainer and light combat aircraft
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Alenia Aermacchi Leonardo S.p.A.
Status	In service
Primary users	Italian Air Force Israeli Air Force Polish Air Force Republic of Singapore Air Force
Number built	126 ordered 88 delivered (April 2024)[1]
History
Manufactured	2004–present
Introduction date	September 2015
First flight	15 July 2004
Developed from	Yakovlev-Aermacchi Yak/AEM-130

The Aermacchi M-346 Master is a family of military twin-engine transonic advanced jet trainers and light combat aircraft. Originally co-developed with Yakovlev as the Yak/AEM-130, the partnership was dissolved in 2000 and then Alenia Aermacchi proceeded to separately develop the M-346 Master, while Yakovlev continued work on the Yakovlev Yak-130. The first flight of the M-346 was performed in 2004. The type is currently operated by the air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore, Greece, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Poland. Since 2016 the manufacturer became Leonardo-Finmeccanica as Alenia Aermacchi merged into the new Finmeccanica, finally rebranded as Leonardo in 2017.^[2]