During the Paris Air Show 2023, Airbus and Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote integrated training systems and study future solutions to tackle the challenges of the Air Domain.
In a joint press release, the two companies explained that they will jointly address and pursue business opportunities for the supply of advanced training systems leveraging the proven experience of the M-346, thanks to the more than 100,000 flight hours flown worldwide by the aircraft.
Airbus and Leonardo will also explore deepening ties and industrial cooperation to tackle future military pilot training domains. All based on cooperation and synergies on specific platforms and programs, also in the framework of a broader European and International collaboration.
‘A strong, innovative and competitive defence industry is a prerequisite for strengthening the European defence environment and for achieving the desired “strategic autonomy”’, said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space. ‘Leonardo is globally recognized as a key player in the military pilot training business segment and we believe our synergies could give the right answer to our customer requirements’.
‘With this agreement, Leonardo and Airbus combine their distinctive experience and capabilities in order to provide European and International customers with the most advanced and effective Integrated Training Systems solutions’, said Marco Zoff, Leonardo’s Aircraft Division Managing Director. ‘Thanks to a common technology development roadmap based on M-346 ITS, the two Companies will also progressively shape advanced capabilities for the future air power, by intercepting emerging needs and forging innovative solutions, to provide effective next-generation fast-jet pilot training and operational readiness in complex scenarios’.
The present agreement is developed based on the expectation that the European market will incorporate more than 400 new advanced trainers over the next 20 years, plus an additional 12 billion euros for the provision of advanced pilot training services.
It is worth recalling that during 2022 Airbus had also approached Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in order to reach a similar agreement and promote the export of the FA-50 advanced trainer/light attack aircraft to Western European countries, following the success of this model in Poland.
