CAE and Leonardo Expand M-346 Training Collaboration

Global – CAE and Leonardo have signed an agreement to expand their collaboration on the M-346 Integrated Training System and develop capabilities for future combat-air operations. The agreement broadens their work into Live, Virtual and Constructive and Live Synthetic Integration environments, supporting demand for training systems aligned with increasingly automated aircraft and next-generation operational concepts.

• The International Flight Training School in Decimomannu currently operates 22 M-346 aircraft and seven advanced simulators, with stated capacity to train more than 80 pilots annually. The campus also delivers more than 8,000 flight hours and 8,000 simulation hours per year, according to Leonardo.
• CAE and Leonardo will jointly establish a technology roadmap covering the M-346 ITS and its Block 20 system features. The companies said the work will address advanced fighter-pilot training, AI-enabled systems, increasingly autonomous mission environments and training for current and future air operations.
• The expanded scope will cover Live, Virtual and Constructive environments, in which pilots flying aircraft can participate in the same scenario as simulator crews and computer-generated forces, as well as Live Synthetic Integration capabilities.
• Leonardo’s M-346 Block 20 programme applies to the aircraft and its ground-based training system. Planned training-version features include two large-area cockpit displays replacing six multifunction displays, a low-profile head-up display, an augmented-reality helmet-mounted display and ground training upgrades using virtual reality and artificial-intelligence applications.
• The International Flight Training School combines live M-346 flying, ground-based simulation, mission rehearsal and data-supported instruction for Phase IV Lead-In Fighter Training. Leonardo said the school had been selected by 15 countries as of October 2025.
• CAE and Leonardo established the Leonardo CAE Advanced Jet Training joint venture in 2021 to support IFTS operations. Its responsibilities include M-346 and ground-based training system maintenance, training support and operation of the school’s base facilities.
• AFM previously reported that CAE’s then-president and chief executive visited IFTS in October 2024, when the school was training fighter-pilot students from 12 nations using Leonardo M-346 aircraft and CAE synthetic training systems.

Statements

• “The future battlespace will place greater demands on pilots than ever before. Through this collaboration, we will develop training environments that help aviators build the judgement, adaptability, and decision-making skills needed to employ advanced and automated mission systems,” said Pascal Grenier, President, CAE Defence & Security.
• “As nations across the world prepare to operate increasingly advanced and integrated air capabilities, pilot training must rapidly adapt to make sure the entire syllabus and the relevant technologies fully adhere to this evolution,” said Stefano Bortoli, Leonardo Aeronautics Managing Director.

Source: Leonardo