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Trainer & light attack

Italy

Leonardo

MB-339

Single-engine jet trainer and light-attack aircraft built by Aermacchi (now Leonardo), long serving as the mount of the Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic display team. Export operators include Argentina, Malaysia, Nigeria and Peru in both trainer and armed light-attack configurations.

In service since 1979 · 6 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

898

km/h

1,760

km range

14,630

m ceiling

1,815

kg payload

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Italian export-licensed

UAMA authorisation; standard EU/Wassenaar controls.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Established · 6 operators

In service since 1979. Status: active · ~100 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the MB-339 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

gun pods unguided rockets practice bombs

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.	898 km/h Stronger than 37% of trainers
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	0.82 Mach Stronger than 15% of trainers
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	1,760 km Stronger than 53% of trainers
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.	14,630 m Stronger than 72% of trainers

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.	6 Stronger than 61% of trainers
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.	1,815 kg Stronger than 46% of trainers

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	10.97 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.	10.86 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.	3.99 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.	3,313 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	5,895 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	2

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	1× Rolls-Royce Viper 632-43 turbojet
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.	1
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).	20 kN Stronger than 41% of trainers
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Turbojet

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	100 Stronger than 36% of trainers
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	6 Stronger than 66% of trainers

Specifications compiled from public Leonardo and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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