Austria signed the deal for 12 Leonardo M-346F Block 20 aircraft on Dec. 17, 2025, according to official statements. Leonardo said the jets will arrive in a light fighter configuration. The package includes simulators, spares, and six years of support after the first delivery. Vienna values the program near €1.5 billion. Deliveries are set to start in 2028.
Leonardo M-346F Block 20 contract for Austria covers jets, simulators, spares, and support
Leonardo said Italy’s Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness signed the contract. The directorate will procure 12 aircraft for the Austrian Air Force.
The company described the aircraft as M-346F under the Block 20 standard. Leonardo said the jets will be delivered in a light fighter configuration. Separate reporting described the Italian directorate as the contracting channel for the deal.
Leonardo listed simulation systems for pilots in the package. The same announcement cited training systems for maintenance technicians. The supply also covers spares and ground equipment.
Leonardo said the support package runs for six years after the first delivery. The first aircraft delivery is scheduled for 2028. Austrian officials have not detailed support milestones, but the six year term sets the initial sustainment window.
Defense officials confirm that Austria finished national approval steps in late November. Public pricing put each aircraft near €80 million. The same statement put the full package near €1.5 billion once training, simulators, maintenance, and armament are counted.
According to industry sources, the funding decision also left room for an option for up to 12 additional aircraft. Austrian officials have not described triggers or dates for a follow on order. The Dec. 17 contract announcement focused on the initial 12 jets.
Austrian officials described the structure as a government to government approach with Italy. “This government-to-government deal brings more security and valuable industrial cooperation for Austria,” Tanner and Hattmannsdorfer said.
Official statements also tied the purchase to an industrial cooperation agreement with Italy. The stated target is about €400 million in related projects in Austria. Austrian officials listed work in aviation technology, supply chains, digitization, and research areas such as simulation, sensors, and materials.
Official Austrian messaging also said the cooperation model will protect national security interests and remain compliant with European rules. Officials said Austrian firms will compete for work based on technical merit.
Leonardo linked the aircraft deal to earlier helicopter orders for Austria. The company cited contracts signed in 2022 and 2023 for 36 AW169M light utility helicopters.
Leonardo’s aeronautics chief Stefano Bortoli said, “We’re extremely proud of the launch of Austria’s M-346 programme.”
Leonardo linked the program to demands for operational versatility in current scenarios. The company cited digitization, efficient asset management, and interoperability as drivers for the system approach. Those themes fit the Block 20 focus on networked avionics and synthetic training tools.
Austrian Air Force air policing plan replaces Saab 105 and complements Eurofighter Typhoon fleet
Austria’s defense ministry confirmed the acquisition of 12 aircraft. The Saab 105 left service in 2020. Officials identified Linz Hörsching as the planned base from 2028.
Leonardo described a dual role in Austria. The company said the M-346F will replace Saab 105 as an advanced trainer and as a fighter for lower-intensity operations.
Official messaging described a two fleet concept that pairs Eurofighter Typhoon with a lighter system. The ministry said Typhoon remains for the highest demand tasks. The second aircraft type covers training and lower intensity missions.
Austria runs air policing as a national task. The government described the new fleet as support for airspace and territory defense. Recent reporting also highlighted Austria’s non-aligned status in explaining the need for extra, lower cost fast jets for daily coverage.
Austria operates 15 Typhoons, and that number limits scheduling flexibility. Government statements have raised operating cost and upgrade limits for the early tranche configuration. Vienna has also faced long running legal disputes tied to the original Typhoon procurement.
Saab 105 retirement pushed much of fast jet training outside Austria. Defense messaging around the M-346 purchase stressed a return of the full training flow to Austria. Overseas training covered the gap years.
Austria’s air policing missions put emphasis on identification and escort tasks. Pilots need rapid intercept procedures and clear escalation steps.
Defense officials have not published a weapons list for the Austrian configuration. They have said the overall package includes armament. Leonardo confirmed that Block 20 includes new weapon systems for air to air and air to surface missions.
Leonardo also said the aircraft will support air to surface missions as part of the light combat role. The mission area is not central in Austria’s current air policing focus. The role fits training syllabi and contingency planning.
Official statements placed the deal inside Austria’s long term force development program. The ministry described the aircraft as a central element of the wider build plan.
M-346F Block 20 avionics include AESA radar, Link 16, large area displays, and self protection
Leonardo said Block 20 uses a Large Area Display in each cockpit. The same announcement listed an active electronically scanned array radar.
Leonardo also confirmed a Link 16 data link plus electronic countermeasures. Another industry report repeated that avionics set in its summary of the award.
A large area display supports wide tactical pages and sensor overlays. Instructors can tailor training prompts for each sortie. The rear cockpit gives the instructor access to the same mission displays and controls.
Leonardo positioned the display layout as part of the Block 20 standard. The company described the M-346 as the backbone aircraft for its advanced training system. Syllabus designers can use the same cockpit for basic sorties and tactical rehearsals.
Leonardo described Block 20 as a light fighter configuration. The aircraft can carry stores on multiple stations under the wings and on the centerline. The official announcement tied the combat role to air to air and air to surface missions.
The official release used broad language on “new weapons systems.” No public breakdown has been issued for the Austrian fit. The cockpit, radar, and network suite remain the clearest confirmed elements so far.
The M-346 is subsonic and uses two engines. The aircraft cannot match Typhoon on speed or altitude. Austria’s air policing profile does not require Typhoon class performance for every sortie.
AESA radar and Link 16 support mission management even without a published missile fit. Radar search helps classification and track quality. Data link connectivity can reduce radio traffic and shorten coordination cycles.
Leonardo described electronic countermeasures as part of the Block 20 fit. The company did not publish detail on the specific suite. The inclusion signals a combat ready configuration rather than a basic trainer.
Leonardo also listed aerial refuelling capability for the platform. The statement framed it as a training and mission feature. Austria does not operate tankers, so training would depend on partner support during exercises.
Leonardo said the M-346 system has logged over 150,000 flight hours. Leonardo put total orders near 160 aircraft. The company said 20 countries use the type for training or light multirole roles.
The Italian Air Force has selected the type for the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team. Leonardo presented that choice as another signal of long term program continuity.
International Flight Training School Decimomannu, Austrian industrial cooperation, and fleet impact through 2028 deliveries
Leonardo cited Austria’s use of the International Flight Training School at Decimomannu. The school pairs the Italian Air Force with Leonardo, and the M-346 is its core aircraft.
Leonardo described an integrated training system with a ground-based training system and live, virtual, and constructive logic. Simulated entities and scenarios can be merged with live flights in the training flow.
Synthetic training supports air-to-surface syllabus work without live ordnance for every event. Instructors can insert radar tracks, threat emitters, and weapon effects in the training system. The same mission profile can then run in the aircraft.
Austria’s defense ministry said the deal includes simulators and training for maintenance technicians.
Official planning puts the future fleet at the planned base from 2028. Some reporting described the site as the former home of the Saab 105 fleet. The delivery timeline leaves years for hangars, mission planning spaces, and simulator buildings.
Austrian government figures described a domestic security and defense industrial base with about 11,000 direct jobs. Officials also cited about 20,000 more in supplier roles. Government figures included about €3.3 billion in annual revenue. Officials cited about 150 active firms and a research share near 7.5 percent.
Leonardo said several air forces use the M-346 system to train pilots for high-performance fighters. The company pointed to training pathways that lead to platforms such as Eurofighter and F-35.
The delivery starts in 2028 leaves a multi-year bridge period. Interim fast jet training abroad will continue during that window. Domestic training will ramp once aircraft, simulators, and instructor cadres are in place.
The six-year support term begins after the first delivery in 2028. The support schedule would carry the initial period into 2034, if delivery timing holds.
The M-346F fleet adds cockpits that can absorb many training hours now flown on Typhoon. The same aircraft can cover some alert tasks when Typhoon availability drops for maintenance. The Defense-Aerospace editorial team reviewed the announced package and our analysis shows the purchase aims to protect Typhoon service life. The package also restores a national training base and keeps air policing coverage steady.
REFERENCE SOURCES
- https://www.leonardo.com/en/press-release-detail/-/detail/17-12-2025-leonardo-signs-contract-for-12-m-346-f-block20-aircraft-for-austria
- https://www.bundesheer.at/aktuelles/detail/oesterreich-finalisiert-ankauf-der-m-346-fa
- https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/leonardo-receives-formal-contract-for-austrian-m-346-f-block-20-acquisition/165722.article
- https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/defence/leonardo-contracted-to-deliver-m-346-light-combat-and-trainer-aircraft-for-austria
- https://euro-sd.com/2025/12/major-news/48278/12-m-346-f-ordered-for-austria/
- https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/leonardo-signs-contract-on-austrias-m-346-aircraft-order/
- https://militaeraktuell.at/en/austrian-armed-forces-purchase-of-leonardo-m-346fa-jets-in-the-bag/
- https://theaviationist.com/2025/12/01/austria-finalizes-m-346fa-acquisition/
