2014-02-04 17:44:45
Verification of the aircraft M-346 Master
On the 3rd of February at the airport of the 41st Base of Training Aviation in Deblin landed a trainer M-346. The aircraft, brought back by the Alenia Aermacchi factory pilots - Quirino Bucci and Enrico Scarabotto. It was in the painting of the Italian Air Force. For the pilots and the airplane there will veryfying flights, which in winter scenery will last until the 5th of February.
The final decision on the purchase will be made after the flights verification M -346 Master.
The offer of the Alenia Aermacchi as the only one (the other two are BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin UK) was admitted to the second stage of the tender for the purchase of the Polish aviation training system (Advanced Jet Trainer). The price decided about this selection. Italians valued the value of the Polish demand for 275 million euros, BAE Systems (aircraft Hawk AJT) to 411 million euros and Lockheed Martin UK (T-50 Golden Eagle) in the amount of 423 million euros. Poland planned to allocate 282 million euros (1.2 billion PLN) for the purchase of the system.
The Czech company Aero Vodochody (aircraft L-159) resigned to set the final offer. Czechs accused the Poles of constant changes in the tender documents, the ambiguity of certain provisions in the requirements .
The new aircrafts will be used by the training wing from Deblín (location in the central Poland).
The training system in addition to support ground simulators and the electronic classes, consist of 8 aircrafts of advanced training (AJT). Polish user assumes tol purchase another 4 planes. The purchuse is to let gain the ability to a modern training of pilots of 48 machines F-16 C/D Block 52+ (thus reducing training pilots in the United States) and replace the worn ones in training aircraft TS-11 Iskra. The last items in stock of TS- 11 Iskra can fill out supporting tasks for 2022.
Although the final decision on the purchase will be made after the flights verification M -346 Master, it may be reasonably assumed that the signing of the contract with Alenia Aermacchi occurs in the early spring 2014. There are two main resaons. Master is a modern system of training. Therefore it should fulfill the expectations of Polish airmen. In addition, the Polish Ministry of Defence needs reputational success, because many modernization programs of the armed forces is delayed (most submarines and air defense systems), hence a high probability that the offer will be accepted.
The youngest aircrafts TS-11 Iskra should serve until 2022.
The future of aviation training in Poland is to be based on three key elements: turboprop aircraft PZL -130 Orlik TC- II (Garmin avionics), the same plane with Glass Cockpit avionics and Advanced Jet Trainer.
Dziennik Zbrojny
