Azerbaijan to buy M-346 Master jet

Azerbaijan is to buy an undisclosed number of Leonardo M-346 Master trainer and light attack aircraft, the country’s president announced on 20 February.

Azerbaijan is to buy an undisclosed number of Leonardo M-346 Master trainer and light attack aircraft, according to a ‘declaration by agreement’ signed on 20 February. (Leonardo)

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and Leonardo Executive Director Alessandro Profumo exchanged a ‘declaration by agreement’ between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Leonardo for the acquisition of “an integration system for M-346 aircraft”, the website for the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced.

No details pertaining to a contract value or delivery timelines were disclosed.

In May 2017 Leonardo showcased its Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master trainer aircraft to top Azeri military officials.

The Azerbaijan Air Force (AzAF) and Air Defence Force is known to have a pressing requirement to augment and replace its Soviet-era MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’, Sukhoi Su-25 ‘Frogfoot’, and Aero Vodochody L-39 jets.

The M-346 is an advanced jet trainer that comes fitted with nine hardpoints (four under each wing and one on the centreline for an optional cannon pod), the M-346 can carry a range of ’dumb’ and ’smart’ munitions, such as Mk 82/83/84 unguided bombs and GBU-12/16 and Opher Mk 82 guided bombs. It can also carry six Durandal anti-runway dispensers, four BRD-4 or LAU-7/LAU-5002/LAU-32 rocket pods, four AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs, four AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles (ASMs), or four Brimstone anti-armour/low-collateral missiles. The M-346FA light attack variant is also fitted with Leonardo’s own Grifo-346 multimode fire-control radar.