The Impact of the Italian M-346 on Fighter Pilot Training
When Lt Col Gianpaolo Pantaloni climbed into the cockpit of an M-346 in 2014 as one of the Italian Air Force’s first four pilots selected for the new aircraft, he didn’t realize he was witnessing the beginning of a training revolution. The introduction of Leonardo’s M-346 Master represented far more than simply replacing aging MB-339 trainers. It fundamentally transformed how the Italian Air Force and now at IFTS several air forces develop fighter pilots for modern aerial warfare.
“We found ourselves in a completely new environment,” Pantaloni recalls. “We were getting out from the training world and getting into the operative world.” This wasn’t hyperbole. Within months of receiving the M-346, Italian instructors were flying tactical missions alongside F-16s, Tornados, and Eurofighters at NATO’s prestigious Tactical Leadership Program in Spain. They weren’t there as students or observers. They were full participants, their advanced trainers holding their own against frontline fighters.
This interview with Lt Col Pantaloni, currently serving as Squadron Flight Safety Officer at the International Flight Training School highlights the role of the M-346 in the paradigm shift in pilot training underway at IFTS.
To understand the impact of the M-346, one must first understand what came before. Traditional pilot training followed a clear, segmented path. Student pilots learned basic flying skills on simple trainers, progressed through increasingly complex aircraft, and finally arrived at operational conversion units where they encountered modern avionics, sensors, and weapons for the first time.
“In the past, there was a wall,” Pantaloni explains. “You were in your training environment, teaching always the same stuff with, of course, a minimum transfer of information with operational squadrons. But there was not this interconnection in terms of flying together in the same formation, in the same environment, in the same command.”
The MB-339, even in its later version with basic embedded tactical software, remained fundamentally a training aircraft. It taught flying skills admirably, but students graduated with virtually no understanding of modern sensors, data links, precision weapons, or network-centric warfare. These critical capabilities were reserved for the expensive operational conversion phase on frontline fighters.
This created two significant problems. First, it extended the pipeline from student to combat-ready pilot, as graduates needed extensive additional training on operational aircraft. Second, it drove up costs dramatically, as basic tactical concepts were taught on aircraft like the Eurofighter that cost triple or more per flight hour compared to trainers.
What made the M-346 different wasn’t just better avionics. It was the combination of near-fighter performance with advanced sensors and systems integration.
“This is a small F-16 performance-wise aircraft,” Pantaloni states without exaggeration. “Of course, without the afterburner, but in terms of thrust and performance, engine performance, the jet is even better in some considerations.”
The M-346’s performance envelope in subsonic flight matches operational fighters. It can pull the same Gs, execute the same maneuvers, and maintain the same energy states as an F-16 or Eurofighter in the vast majority of tactical scenarios. For training purposes, this is transformative. Students aren’t learning tactics in a compromised platform and then relearning them in a fighter. They’re learning them right the first time.
The M-346’s sensor suite and systems integration complete the transformation. The aircraft features a modern glass cockpit, advanced radar, targeting pods, helmet-mounted displays, and full data link integration. When equipped with ACMI (Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation) pods, the M-346 can see and track other aircraft in the training environment, providing real-time tactical awareness.
“We were able to visualize everybody because they were carrying the ACMI pod, and this jet is able to see on their radar that interesting information for the other jet that is carrying the ACMI pod,” Pantaloni notes. This capability proved invaluable at the Tactical Leadership Program, where situational awareness is paramount.
The true validation of the M-346 concept came when Italian instructors deployed to Spain for the Tactical Leadership Program. TLP is NATO’s premier tactical air warfare training course, where experienced pilots from member nations fly complex, realistic combat scenarios. It’s not a place for basic trainers.
Yet there were the Italians, flying their M-346s as red air adversaries against F-16s, Tornados, and Eurofighters. The base commander at the time, Colonel (now General) Tarantino, immediately recognized the aircraft’s potential and pushed for this operational integration.
“We were flying as red air,” Pantaloni explains. “We had the option to visualize everybody. And it was really, really interesting for all the environment of the tactical leadership program in that period.”
The deployment achieved something unprecedented: instructors from a training squadron were participating as equals in NATO’s most advanced tactical training. They weren’t there to learn. They were there to challenge frontline fighters, to push NATO pilots, and to bring back lessons learned to improve the training pipeline.
“We were just flying ourselves in Lecce, where we were based, in the past, between us. And we found ourselves with the M-346 in Spain, flying with F-16s, Tornados, Eurofighters, all together in huge formations, taking back a lot of training return that could be downloaded to the training course. And this is what actually happened.”
This created a virtuous cycle. Operational squadrons saw the M-346’s capabilities and began requesting support. “A lot of emails came back from the OCUs,” Pantaloni recalls. “They started to call us, asking ‘Why are you not coming here, helping us?’ They wanted to understand how to build up exercises that were done on the Eurofighter but at a fraction of the cost.”
The M-346 enables and requires a fundamental shift in training philosophy. Pantaloni describes this as moving from “skill-based pilots” to “mission-based pilots.”
“Flying a jet nowadays, F-35 and so on, it’s not automatic, but I mean, it’s really easy in terms of flying skills,” he explains. “The M-346 is more or less the same. I mean, it’s a very carefree jet. We have really, really low issues regarding basic stuff.”
Modern fighters, with their fly-by-wire systems, advanced autopilots, and intuitive controls, have made the physical act of flying relatively straightforward. What’s complex is everything else: managing sensors, processing data link information, employing weapons, understanding electronic warfare, coordinating with other aircraft, and executing complex tactical plans.
“We are moving to delegating most of the mission to the mental flying of the mission,” Pantaloni emphasizes. “How to manage information that we get in data link, how to manage radar information, how to manage the tons of information that we can obtain with the real-time monitoring station we have on the ground and so on.”
This is the true revolution. In the old model, students spent the training phase mastering basic flying and only encountered tactical systems at the operational conversion unit. With the M-346, they graduate already understanding:
- Radar operation and interpretation.
- Data link integration and network-centric warfare.
- Precision weapons employment (laser-guided bombs, GPS weapons).
- Beyond-visual-range tactics and active radar missiles.
- Sensor fusion and situational awareness management.
- Electronic warfare concepts.
- Multi-ship tactical formations.
“Getting out from the IFTS, you already have these known concepts, so you can start from a higher level and dedicate your effort to studying more advanced phases,” Pantaloni notes. This doesn’t just save time for it fundamentally improves pilot quality. Graduates arrive at operational squadrons ready to focus on advanced tactics rather than struggling with basic systems.
Italy’s investment in the M-346 has created a unique advantage within NATO. As Pantaloni observes, “Having this jet right now, in this period of time, we are the only ones who have this option so far in the NATO community. This gives us a lot of advantage in obtaining positive feedback from other nations.”
Other NATO air forces have recognized what Italy has achieved. Nations still using older trainers face a stark choice: continue with the expensive, time-consuming model of teaching basic concepts on operational fighters, or invest in advanced training systems like the M-346.
“If you don’t have the option to fly a Phase 4 with advanced avionics like the M-346, you end up the training course without any idea about how to use weapons,” Pantaloni points out. “I mean, laser bombs, GPS bombs, active missiles, you have absolutely no idea. So you reach your OCU and you need to start with basic concepts.”
The cost implications are significant. Teaching a student to employ a GPS-guided weapon on a Eurofighter costs three times more per flight hour than on an M-346, yet the learning outcome is nearly identical. Multiply that across hundreds of training sorties and thousands of students, and the savings become substantial.
But beyond cost, there’s a capability dimension. Pilots who graduate with advanced systems knowledge are more valuable from day one at operational squadrons. They require less conversion training, reach combat readiness faster, and arrive with better decision-making skills honed on realistic scenarios.
While the current M-346 already represents a very capable training platform, Leonardo and the Italian Air Force aren’t standing still. The planned Block 20 upgrade promises to push the aircraft firmly into fifth and sixth-generation training territory.
“Block 20 probably starts from our scratches, from our requests,” Pantaloni reveals. “Information went from the squadron direct to Leonardo. This is what we are actually doing. They started from our requests.”
The upgrade will feature several key improvements:
- Large Area Displays: Modern fighters like the F-35 have moved away from traditional multi-function displays to large touchscreen interfaces. Block 20 will replicate this, giving students experience with the human-machine interface they’ll encounter in operational aircraft.
- Advanced Helmet-Mounted Displays: Current HMDs on the M-346 are based on 20-year-old technology primarily used for weapons aiming. “Now, the HMD or helmet display is for everything, like F-35,” Pantaloni explains. The upgrade will provide full situational awareness, sensor data, and flight information through the helmet, mirroring next-generation fighter capabilities.
- Enhanced Weapons Simulation: More advanced simulation of modern weapons will allow students to train on the latest precision munitions and missiles without actually expending them.
- Data Integration and Network Architecture: Improved data link capabilities and information management to prepare pilots for the highly networked battlespace of modern warfare.
Pantaloni draws a compelling parallel to the F-16’s evolution: “The F-16 has more than probably 50 years, but the latest block is a sort of F-35 on an F-16, without the stealth options. It’s similar to the M-346 where the mechanical part is probably old 20 years, but with the performance of modern jets. If you change minor stuff on avionics, you have a totally perfect aircraft for nowadays training.”
This approach, maintaining a proven airframe while continuously upgrading avionics, offers significant advantages. The M-346’s basic design is mature, reliable, and cost-effective. Rather than designing an entirely new aircraft, Leonardo can focus resources on the systems that matter most for training: sensors, displays, data links, and simulation capabilities.
Modern air warfare is increasingly about information management. Pilots no longer fight in isolation. They’re nodes in a vast network receiving data from satellites, ground stations, AWACS aircraft, and other fighters. Training pilots to operate in this environment requires exposing them to these information streams during training.
“We need to simulate satellite information,” Pantaloni emphasizes when discussing on future training requirements. The challenge lies in teaching how to filter and manage this future flood of data. “To find information, what information you need for a specific role you’re flying, for a specific weapon you’re using, and so on.”
This is where the M-346 excels and will continue to improve with Block 20. The aircraft can integrate into modern networks, receive and display multiple data streams, and force students to make decisions based on fused information from various sources. This prepares them for the cognitive demands of modern aerial warfare far better than flying a simple trainer with minimal outside connectivity.
The Real-Time Monitoring Station (RTMS) capability Pantaloni mentions exemplifies this approach. Ground stations can track all aircraft in a training exercise, monitor their systems, and provide post-mission analysis. Students learn to operate within a monitored, networked environment from day one.
While capability improvements grab headlines, the M-346’s cost-effectiveness may be its most important attribute for cash-strapped air forces. Training is expensive, and operational fighters are the most expensive platforms to fly.
Consider the economics: A typical advanced jet trainer might cost $3,000-5,000 per flight hour. A frontline fighter like the Eurofighter costs $15,000-20,000 per flight hour or more. If students can learn 80% of what they need on the cheaper platform, the savings are enormous.
“Some basic exercises that were done on the Eurofighter but at double or triple the cost” can now be accomplished on the M-346, Pantaloni notes. For a typical pilot training program involving hundreds of sorties per student, this translates to millions in savings per pilot while maintaining or even improving training quality.
These savings compound over time. An air force training 50 pilots per year might save $50-100 million annually in operating costs while simultaneously freeing operational aircraft for actual operational missions rather than basic training.
As air forces worldwide develop sixth-generation fighter concepts, the training challenge grows more complex. Future fighters will likely feature even higher levels of automation, artificial intelligence assistance, optionally manned operations, and integration with unmanned systems. How do you train pilots for aircraft that don’t yet exist?
The M-346’s evolution provides a potential answer. By maintaining a flexible, software-defined architecture, the aircraft can evolve alongside operational fighters. Block 20 represents one upgrade cycle, but the platform can continue advancing for decades.
“What we would like to have in terms of the best training platform for sixth-generation fighters, with the limitation of training, of course,” Pantaloni muses. The key is staying connected to operational requirements, ensuring training squadrons understand where fighter aviation is heading and adapting their curriculum accordingly.
This requires maintaining the direct connection between training and operational units that the M-346 enabled. Instructors must remain current on operational tactics, participate in exercises, and continuously feed lessons learned back into the training pipeline.
Italy’s success with the M-346 hasn’t gone unnoticed. Several nations have purchased the aircraft. Poland, Singapore, Israel, and others have recognized the value proposition: a relatively affordable aircraft that dramatically improves training outcomes and reduces operational fighter training costs.
For NATO interoperability, having partner nations flying similar advanced trainers creates additional benefits. Students from different countries can train together more easily. Common tactics and procedures can be developed. International exercises become more valuable when all participants operate capable platforms.
The IFTS itself represents this international approach, with multiple nations participating in a shared training program. The M-346 provides the platform that makes this cooperation effective for students aren’t limited by aircraft capability but challenged by realistic tactical scenarios.
In short, Lt Col Pantaloni’s experience with the M-346 chronicles a fundamental shift in how modern air forces should approach pilot training. The traditional model of simple trainers followed by expensive operational conversion is increasingly obsolete in an era of complex, networked, sensor-rich aerial warfare.
The M-346 breaks down walls between training and operations, enables mission-based rather than just skill-based training, provides dramatic cost savings, and continuously evolves to meet future requirements. Students graduate with knowledge and capabilities that previously took years to develop, arriving at operational units ready to focus on advanced tactics rather than basic systems.
As air warfare continues evolving toward greater complexity, automation, and information integration, the training challenge will only grow more acute. The M-346 demonstrates that investing in advanced training systems pays dividends not just in cost savings but in pilot quality, unit readiness, and operational effectiveness.
The revolution in fighter pilot training that began when four Italian pilots climbed into M-346s in 2014 is still unfolding. But its direction is clear: advanced trainers aren’t preliminary aircraft preparing students for “real” aircraft because they are real aircraft, capable platforms that integrate seamlessly into the operational environment. That fundamental insight changes everything.
I have recently visited the Italian International Flight Training School on Sardinia.
This is the fourth of several articles based on my interviews and discussions while visiting the Sardinia base in October 2025.
The AI generated image highlights the international engagement at IFTS, and the integration of the LVC ecosystem with the M-346 live aircraft. The level of integration is quite remarkable.
See also, the following:
The LVC Enterprise Foundation for the International Fighter Training School
And the video overview on the LVC report: