Austria has decided to purchase M-346 FA fighter jets to replace its decommissioned fleet of Saab 105 aircraft.
Klaudia Tanner, the Austrian defense minister, announced the Bundesheer’s plan on Saturday to acquire 12 M-346 FA jets from Italian aircraft manufacturer Leonardo. The agreement will be structured as a government-to-government contract with Italy. The two nations are still negotiating the specifics of the deal.
The twin-engine Leonardo aircraft is currently used at the International Flight Training School in Italy, where Austrian pilots have trained since retiring the Saab 105 in 2020.
The M-346 FA, which is also used in Greece, Singapore and Qatar, is the lightweight variant of the M-346 advanced trainer, designed for multirole operations. It is equipped with a Leonardo-made multi-mode Grifo-M-346 mechanical scanning radar and a complete passive defense system known as the Defensive Aids Sub-System.
Although the deal’s value and timeline have yet to be officially announced, a report from the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, citing military sources, indicated that the Austrian government has allocated around $1 billion for the new jets. These aircraft are expected to be used for pilot training, supporting ground forces and air defense operations.