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Leonardo
M-346 Master
Twin-engine advanced jet trainer developed by Leonardo (formerly Alenia Aermacchi) to prepare pilots for fifth-generation fighters, featuring fly-by-wire controls and an embedded tactical training system. It serves the Italian Air Force's frecce tricolori-feeder syllabus and has been exported to Israel, Singapore, Poland and the United States (as the T-100 candidate).
In service since 2015 · 6 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,090
km/h
1,900
km range
13,800
m ceiling
3,000
kg payload
0.71
T/W
💲 ≈ $30,000,000, Approximate flyaway cost
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 2015. Status: active · ~100 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$75M – $105M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
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 M-346 Master can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| 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. | 1,090 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 0.95 Mach |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 1,900 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 13,800 m |
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. On a standalone engine record, this is the engine's own thrust divided by its dry weight, the standard figure of merit for jet engines. | 0.71 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 7 |
|---|---|
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 3,000 kg |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 11.49 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 9.72 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 4.76 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 4,610 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 6,800 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 2 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | 2× Honeywell/ITEC F124-GA-200 turbofan |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 2 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 28 kN |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbofan |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | embedded tactical training system, digital fly-by-wire flight controls |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $30,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 100 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 6 |
Specifications compiled from public Leonardo and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
M-346 Master vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Leonardo M-346 Master? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master has a maximum speed of 1,090 km/h.
What is the range of the Leonardo M-346 Master? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master has a maximum range of 1,900 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Leonardo M-346 Master? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master can carry up to 3,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Leonardo M-346 Master weigh? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master has a combat weight of 6,800 kg.
How many crew does the Leonardo M-346 Master require? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master requires a crew of 2.
What engine does the Leonardo M-346 Master use? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master is powered by the 2× Honeywell/ITEC F124-GA-200 turbofan.
How many countries operate the Leonardo M-346 Master? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master is operated by 6 countries.
How much does the Leonardo M-346 Master cost? +
The Leonardo M-346 Master has an approximate unit cost of 30,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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