M-346
Singapore's G.550
Posted on 07/22/2012 10:10:29 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Israel buys M-346 combat trainers from Italy. Italy buys G550 Airborne Early Warning planes from Israel. July 20, 2012
On Jul. 19, Finmeccanica group company’s Alenia Aermacchi signed a contract worth 1 billion USD, with Israeli Ministry of Defence to supply 30 M-346 advanced combat trainers to replace the Israeli Air Force’s aging fleet of A-4 Skyhawks.
On Jul. 20 (the following day), it was announced that Israel’s IAI will supply the Italian Air Force with two Gulfstream G550 Eitam conformal airborne early warning (CAEW) aircraft (as well as ground support equipment and logistical support services) under a deal worth 750 million USD that is part of “a larger larger Government-to-Government agreement between Israel and Italy that includes aircraft, engines, maintenance, logistics, simulators and training, provided also by other Israeli and international companies.”
Indeed, under an additional agreement worth 182 million USD, IAI will also develop, manufacture and supply an observation satellite to Italy’s Telespazio.
The official announcements didn’t come unexpected: the M-346 had been selected by the Israeli MoD in February 2012, whereas the long-awaited mini-AWACS had been on the Italian Air Force’s “wish list” since it took part to the 2010 and 2011 edition of the Vega multinational exercise in Decimomannu, in Sardinia.
What’s curious is that, with the recent sales, both the Italian Air Force, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Israeli Air Force will soon be (at least momentarily) the only operators of both the M-346 and the G550 planes.
[Read also: Here’s the M-346 in Israeli Air Force colors]
Anyway, maybe it’s time to add Israel’s flag to the following M-346 on static display at the Finmeccanica park at Farnborough International Airshow 2012).
M-346
Singapore's G.550
WOW! A-4 Skyhawks?
You are talking early 1950’s design, mid 1950’s start of service with the Navy and Marine Corps.
The last one came off the production line in 1979.
Israel's the size of Manhattan plus half of the Bronx. A minute after takeoff they have to go into major avoidance of hostile airspace. All they need are movable aerial platforms with up-to-date avionics and missile systems.
The rest can be handled by their nukes and scalar weapons... hehehe...
Israel is the size of New Jersey.
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