Alenia Aermacchi T-346A Master (MM55213 / 61-06) from the Italian Air Force at the RIAT 2019, RAF Fairford (United Kingdom)
The Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master is a military twin-engine transonic trainer aircraft. Originally co-developed with Yakovlev as the Yak/AEM-130, the partnership was dissolved in 2000 and Alenia Aermacchi proceeded to separately develop the M-346 Master, while Yakolev continued work on the Yakovlev Yak-130. The first flight of the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 was performed in 2004. The type is currently operated by the air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore, and Poland. Since 2016 the manufacturer became Leonardo-Finmeccanica as Alenia Aermacchi merged into the new Finmeccanica, finally rebranded as Leonardo in 2017. The Italian Air Force designated the M-346 as T-346A and is tailored to train pilots to fly new generation combat aircraft and is well suited for every phase of advanced and pre-operational training, to reduce the flight hours on the more expensive aircraft. The aircraft features avionics modelled upon those of new generation military aircraft such as Eurofighter, Gripen, Rafale, F-16, F-22 & F-35.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world's largest military air show, held annually over the third weekend in July,
usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.
The show typically attracts a total of 150.000 to 160.000 spectators over the weekend.