Military AI Works

The Aeronautica Militare (AMI, Italian Air Force) has signed a second contract for the supply of thirteen M345HET (High Efficiency Trainer) aircraft, for a total value of 300 million Euros.

The M345 will replace the AMI's ageing fleet of Aermacchi MB339s. The contract includes ground-based training systems and a five year logistics support package. This order follows an initial contract for five aircraft bringing the total order to eighteen M345HETs.

The Leonardo M345HET is a further development of the Aermacchi M345 jet trainer (formerly known as Aermacchi M311 – an upgraded jet based on the SIAI S211 airframe), a basic jet trainer whose first production example successfully performed its maiden flight on 21 December 2018. The first of eighteen new M345HET is expected to be delivered in 2020 at the 61° Stormo (Wing), based at Galatina airbase near Lecce, in southeastern Italy. The AMI has scheduled a requirement for around 45 M345HET aircraft (with the Italian military designation T-345A) to progressively replace its fleet of 137 Aermacchi MB339s that have been in service since 1982.

It wil also become the new aircraft for the Italian demonstration team Frecce Tricolori (Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale - PAN) based at Rivolto in northern Italy. With ten aircraft, nine in formation and a solist, the Frecce Tricolori is the world's largest demonstration team, making the team (and their aircraft) the perfect ambassador for Italy.

The M345HET has already generated interest among many air forces worldwide.

Credit: Leonardo





And we already have this model for AI FS2004.

MGAI (Mark Griggs) has released some years ago a SIAI Marchetti S211 multi-lods model. M345 is just a evolution of S211, with the same shape.



Base model on Flightsipm.com : mg_ai_s211.zip

Paintkit on MAIW Website : https://militaryaiworks.com/download-ha ... etti-s-211

Hi all, it is true that the shape is the same, but there are some differencies that some "purists" could notice.
The new M-345 HET has two ventral fins under the tail.
Lower part of the fuselage has been modified.
Wingtips slightly modified.
Not least, the cockpit externally, is the same of the M-346.

Other curiosity are about the dimensions.
Every source say the same about the M-345:
Length: 9,85 m.
Wingspan: 8,47 m.
Height: 3,74 m.
Wing area: 12,6 squared meter

For the S-211, almost all dimensions are different:
Respectively, the sources are:
Wikipedia in Italian; in English; in French and the Volandia Museum that exposes one of the prototype:

Length: 9,50; 9,31; 9,53; 9,50 meters
Wingspan: 8,43; 8,43; 8;46; 8,47 meters
Height: 3,80; 3,80; 3;70; 3,80 meters
Wing area: 12,60; 12,60; 12,60; 12,66 squared meter

Having said that, I'll be more than happy if some of our repainters will be willing to paint th MG model (Which dimension have been used by Mark??? )
We have lived and still live with the HTAI F-16, covering all the versions used in so many countries.
I don't think that would be a problem if we have S-211 instead of a "real" M-345...

BTW John, are you looking for a "next project" to start?

Ciao, Giorgio

here are the first two Leonardo T-345s delivered to the Italian Air Force, at the 61st Wing of Galatina. Totally different from the M311 project.