US airframer Textron plans to build its new Beechcraft military jet at the company’s main hub of Wichita, Kansas, if it can secure a contract.
Textron has partnered with Italian manufacturer Leonardo to offer a derivative of the latter’s M-346 military trainer to the US Navy (USN). If selected by the navy, that aircraft, dubbed the Beechcraft M-346N, will be assembled in Wichita, Textron revealed on 28 October.
“Wichita has long been the centre of innovation for Beechcraft, and we’re proud to continue that tradition as we prepare to support the [US] Navy’s next-generation training needs,” says Travis Tyler, chief executive of Textron Aviation Defense.
Beechcraft, which was acquired by Textron in 2014, has been a supplier of aircraft to the US military since the days of the Second World War. Textron maintains the Beechcraft brand within its portfolio of aviation holdings, which also includes Cessna and rotorcraft manufacturer Bell.
Other Textron aircraft currently in military service are the Beechcraft T-6 basic trainer and the T-54 multi-engined trainer.
If selected for the navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) contract, Textron says it will invest $38 million to develop an M-346N assembly line in an existing 4,645sq m (50,000sq ft) facility on the company’s east Wichita campus – which is home to the original 1940’s Beechcraft delivery centre.
The USN is expected to formally launch the UJTS competition late this year, with a contract to be awarded in January 2027.
The service is seeking to replace its ageing and maintenance-troubled fleet of Boeing T-45 jet trainers, 188 of which are in service, according to fleets data from aviation analytics company Cirium.
Likely M-346N competitors include Boeing’s T-7A trainer currently in testing with the US Air Force, the Lockheed Martin/Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 and a new design from Sierra Nevada called the Freedom Trainer.
FlightGlobal participated in an M-346N demonstration flight in September, observing both the twin-engined jet’s aerodynamic capabilities and onboard Embedded Tactical Training System, which allows trainee pilots to practise using weapons and other combat systems.
Textron’s M-346N demonstrator is based on the M-346FA light-attack variant, while the production aircraft will be derived from Leonardo’s latest M-346 Block 20, which will feature a modernised cockpit and enhanced safety features like an automatic ground collision avoidance system.
Leonardo has delivered 100 M-346 trainers globally, which have collectively logged more than 150,000 flight hours over a 10-year service life. The trainer is in service is Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific.
