Just over six months after Vienna officially announced in May 2025 that it had selected Leonardo’s M346 Fighter Attack (M346FA) as its next light-combat and training aircraft, Austria has now finalised the purchase through a government-to-government agreement with Italy.
The contract, valued at €1.5 billion, covers weapons, ammunition, maintenance, and a complete training package. In addition, Austria and Italy have sealed €400 million worth of industrial cooperation programmes in areas such as aerospace technologies, supplier-industry development, digitalisation, and security-related research.
Deliveries to the Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte are scheduled for 2028, restoring a capability that has been missing since the retirement of the Saab J105Ö in 2020. The twelve M346FAs will operate from Hörsching Air Base, which will become the centre of Austria’s renewed jet-training infrastructure.
Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner described the agreement as a major step in implementing the national 2032+ development plan. She stressed that the new aircraft will allow Austria to maintain its two-fleet strategy, regain full domestic pilot-training capacity, and strengthen overall air-defence readiness. The twin-seat configuration, she noted, also meets the country’s requirement for a platform able to combine training and operational roles.
According to Tanner, the procurement confirms that the 2032+ roadmap is progressing “methodically and consistently”, with the M346FA forming one of its key building blocks.
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