Beechcraft Targets US Navy with New Jet Trainer

In an effort to provide a replacement for the US Navy’s McDonnell-Douglas T-45 Goshawk jet trainer fleet, Textron Aviation has partnered with Italian manufacturer Leonardo to repackage Leonardo’s M-346 jet as a Beechcraft product.

While such rebranding is relatively common in the industry, the M-346’s lineage makes it somewhat unique in that the jet began life as a joint effort between Aermacchi in Italy and Yakovlev in Russia. Known at that time as the Yak-130 “Mitten,” it first flew in 1996 before eventually being produced as the M-346 Master.

In service with various militaries around the world, including Greece, Poland, Singapore, and others, the M-346 has accrued approximately 10 years of service. As the Beechcraft M-346N, the latest version has undergone significant updates, featuring a fully digital fly-by-wire flight control system and the latest avionics.

While the jet will not be equipped for carrier operations, its avionics and flight control systems align closely with advanced simulators being developed in parallel.

Although Beechcraft has not traditionally manufactured military jets, the M-346N is not the company’s first attempt to break into the military jet trainer market. In 1955, the company developed a jet-powered version of its successful propeller-driven T-34 Mentor primary trainer. Called the Model 73 Jet Mentor, it retained the familiar straight wing and tail but utilized a Continental J69 jet engine. It was not successful, however, and the lone example survives today on display at the Kansas Aviation Museum.