Austria is investing 1 billion euros ($1.04 billion) to acquire 12 M-346 Master combat aircraft from Italian aerospace company Leonardo, replacing the army’s decommissioned Saab 105 jets.
A contract to initiate the foreign military sale is expected to be signed with the Italian Ministry of Defense on January 4, according to local Austrian news agency Kronen Zeitung.
Vienna first revealed its intent to adopt the Italian planes last August, during which it described Rome’s offer as “interesting” and the associated timescale “not that far off.”
Once shipped, the Master fleet will be used to secure Austrian airspace and train military pilots at the Linz Airport in Hörsching.
Leonardo’s Master Airframe
The M-346 Master measures 11 meters (36 feet) and has a wingspan of 10 meters (33 feet).
It is powered by two Honeywell turbofan engines for speeds up to 590 knots (1,093 kilometers/679 miles per hour) and a range of 1,900 kilometers (1,181 miles).
The plane is armed with machine guns, automatic cannons, unguided bombs, and air-to-air, air-to-surface, and anti-ship missiles.
The Master has an internal fuel capacity of 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds), a service ceiling of 13,716 meters (45,000 feet), and an endurance of more than 2 hours.