Textron Aviation Defense LLC, a Textron Inc. company, today announced its offering of the Beechcraft/Leonardo M-346N jet as a “ready-now” solution from an iconic American company for the U.S. Navy Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program. The U.S. Navy has released several Requests for Information related to an upcoming Request for Proposals for a new aircraft for the UJTS program.
Textron Aviation Defense and Leonardo have entered into a teaming agreement to work together to meet the Navy’s requirements for its new jet trainer. The Beechcraft/Leonardo M-346N is part of a proven integrated training system based on the original M-346 aircraft developed by Leonardo. More than 100 Leonardo M-346 aircraft are already meeting the demanding student pilot training needs for 4th and 5th generation air forces worldwide, including at Italy’s globally renowned International Flight Training School (IFTS).
Travis Tyler, president and CEO, Textron Aviation Defense
With our heritage deeply rooted in the strength and reliability of American manufacturing, the Beechcraft M-346N joins a proud lineup of aircraft built on 95 years of aviation excellence. The aircraft can be the cornerstone for the Navy’s future of undergraduate jet training, combining operationally-proven performance with cutting-edge technologies.
Textron Aviation Defense, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, manufactures Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft for military missions around the world. Since World War II, militaries have relied on these iconic brands for high-performance training and tactical aircraft.
The Beechcraft/Leonardo M-346N — a twin-engine, tandem-seat aircraft with fully digital flight controls and avionics — is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system with quadruple redundancy, a cutting-edge human-machine interface with Head-Up Display and Large Area Display in each cockpit, hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls and innovative safety features such as the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS).
Fitted with two Honeywell F124-GA-200 turbofan engines, the M-346N delivers an inherently high level of safety along with impressive performance, including a maximum cruise speed of more than 590 knots and a service ceiling of 45,000 ft.
The aircraft’s advanced aerodynamic design enables exceptional maneuverability and energy management, while the elevated rear cockpit gives instructors excellent visibility in all phases of flight. The result is a trainer that effectively bridges basic instruction and the high-performance world of carrier-based fighter operations.
The comprehensive M-346N integrated training ecosystem, which has been validated and continuously improved through the global operational experience of the M-346 integrated training system, is poised to provide the Navy with a complete solution that enhances student readiness and operational effectiveness while reducing training costs and risks.
The Beechcraft/Leonardo M-346N leverages the operationally-proven Embedded Training System avionics suite for basic to advanced tactical training emulating sensors, weapons and Computer Generated Forces. This enables students to interact in real-time through a Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) training architecture that links aircraft in flight (Live), simulators (Virtual) and computer-generated friendly and adversary forces (Constructive). The innovative system also features adaptive training powered by Artificial Intelligence which continuously analyzes student pilot performance data to personalize learning paths, automate evaluations and tailor instruction to individual strengths and areas for improvement
Together with its full spectrum of high-fidelity ground-based training devices — comprising simulators, computer training devices, mission planning / management tools and a carrier-based LVC environment — the Beechcraft M-346N offers a complete solution for training the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps aviators.
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