Paramount Group has signed a Letter of Intent with Leonardo to jointly develop a weaponised configuration of the M-345 military trainer aircraft.
Under the deal, the two companies intend to build an operational configuration of the jet trainer to be marketed in the African market.
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The agreement will also include the possible involvement of Paramount Group in the Italy-built SF-260 light trainer aircraft programme, in addition to its logistic support services.
Paramount Advanced Technologies chief executive officer Ralph Mills said: “We are very excited to launch and demonstrate our Smart Weapons Integration on Fast-Jet Trainers (SWIFT) mission system alongside the African debut of Leonardo’s M-345 jet trainer.
“SWIFT is focused on current threats and current customer requirements. It offers low acquisition and operation costs and is suitable for non-conventional or asymmetric warfare. It addresses the customer’s growing need for multi-role configuration to adapt to different mission roles without major re-configuration and extended time delay.
“The platform can be described as short timeframe, light combat and surveillance solution utilising the best of the best in the defence industry.”
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By GlobalDataDeveloped by Leonardo’s Aircraft Division, the Aermacchi M-345 aircraft has been designed for the basic-advanced phases of the training syllabus, offering low acquisition and operating costs.
The trainer is capable of performing operational roles with a high-speed manoeuvring capability in high altitudes, modern avionics systems, and high load capacity and performance.
The aircraft helps reduce training times and allows trainees to use a platform with higher performance flight characteristics than other basic or advanced training aircraft currently used across the world.
