Dubai Airshow: No Alenia Aermacchi M-346 orders – for now

But while the aircraft is present at Dubai, being exhibited in the static display and in the air, there seems to be little chance of a contract being signed before the year’s end.

The UAE air force is expected to order some 48 M-346 aircraft, some of them as advanced trainers, some in a light attack configuration, and some for a new national aerobatic team.

Some may even be used for anti-shipping duties, armed with the Marte Mk. II/S-A anti ship missile (the similar naval variant of the missile, the Marte Mk II/N is already used by the UAE Navy). A Marte Mk. II is displayed alongside the M-346 in the static park.

Final assembly is expected to be undertaken in the UAE under a Joint Venture between Alenia Aermacchi and Mubadala Development.

Though the UAE has selected the M-346, some question whether any order will be inked before the aircraft has been ordered in quantity by the ‘domestic customer’, the Italian air force, since without such an order, the UAE would be the aircraft’s only significant operator, and would effectively be the launch customer.

And though the M-346 has now reached its 1,000th flight milestone, and though the flight test programme is virtually complete, its order book remains very slim. The Aéronautica Militare Italiana has signed a €220 m contract for just six aircraft (designated as T-346As by the Italian air force) and has outlined an initial requirement for only 15 aircraft.

Other potential customers may be similarly deterred from placing orders before the home nation has demonstrated its confidence in the aircraft, though Singapore air force pilots are known to have evaluated the aircraft at the company’s Venogono facility recently.

Alenia remain buoyant about the aircraft’s prospects, however, confidently predicting that they should gain a 30% share of an advanced trainer market that the company predicts at 2,000 aircraft.