Update – Aermacchi 339

The type was initially built against an Italian Air Force requirement for a minimum of 100 aircraft to replace the MB-326 in the pure jet training role. Aermacchi have pursued export orders against strong competition from British Aerospace with the Hawk, Dassault-Breguet/Dornier with the Alpha Jet and Casa with the Aviojet and have to date sold aircraft to a number of countries including Malaysia, Argentina, an unnamed African state and Peru, where a production line is presently being set up to build more than 100 aircraft.

Mission expansion is an inevitable requirement of the military sales marketplace, and the key to such activity usually lies in a more powerful powerplant. In the 339’s case Aermacchi and Fiat have worked with Rolls Royce to produce further more powerful versions of the long-lived Viper, which it must be remembered was originally designed as an expendable engine to power our own GAF Jindivik target drone. The latest marque of this highly reliable engine is the 680-43 which takes maximum thrust to 4450 lb at sea level, roughly a 10% improvement on the standard 632-43 found in early model 339s. This of course is nearly double the power found in our own MB-326Hs and naturally provides sufficient energy to lift a viable attack payload of up to 4000 lb of stores on no less than six underwing stations.

It is with little surprise then that the Argentinians were eager to deploy their limited number of MB-339s to the Falklands following their invasion in April 1982. Being the only jet capable of operating out of the 4000 feet strip at Port Stanley, the 339s could have been used to great advantage if deployed as a tactical anti-ship unit. Unfortunately, like all Argentinian air operations, they were used largely on an ad-hoc basis without any clearly defined tactical purpose and thus wasted as tactical assets.

A moment of glory came though on the morning of 21st May as a lone 339, flown by Lieutenant Guillermo Owen Crippa crossed the ridge and flew down San Carlos Water, by now jam-packed with British warships and transport types hurriedly unloading the assault force. Ignoring a welter of anti-aircraft fire he continued on and fired a salvo of 5 inch rockets and 30 mm cannon fire at HMS Argonaut, causing light damage to the destroyer before flying back over the ridge and the comparative safety of Port Stanley. For this action Crippa was later awarded the Argentine Medal of Heroism which was the highest award for valour won by an Argentine Naval pilot during the conflict. Crippa ‘sraid was also the first engagement between the Task Force and raiding aircraft in San Carlos Water. In all, five 339s would be destroyed as the conflict progressed, though if used tactically, the type could have been a considerable problem to the British fleet.

About the time the Argentinians were watching their hopes sink in the South Atlantic, Aermacchi in northern Italy were busy test flying a new version of the 339. Again history had repeated itself and Aermacchi followed the same road that fifteen years earlier had resulted in their selling several hundred additional MB-326 aircraft. Realising the need for a light ground attack aircraft that was cheap to purchase, operate and could be flown by a relatively inexperienced pilot operating in a COIN (Counter Insurgency) environment, Aermacchi proceeded with the development of a single-seat light attack version of the proven 326. This aircraft was built under licence in South Africa as the Impala and proved quite successful in the role for which it was designed. So, fifteen years later it was not surprising that Aermacchi should again choose to develop a light attack version of their trainer.

This time though, Aermacchi had several additional pluses working in their favour. Modern electronics had given birth to a wide range of small, highly reliable electronic advances such as integrated avionics, CRTs and the Head Up Display while power was now supplied by an engine far more powerful than that originally available in the Impala. The product of this gestation was the Veltro II which Aermacchi claim as an excellent third-world light attack aircraft. The Veltro can typically carry a load of four 500 lb bombs plus 240 rounds of 30 mm ammunition over a lo-lo-lo radius of 180 nm. By using a hi-lo-hi profile the tactical radius can be extended to 333 nm while a photo reconnaissance radius (hi-lohi) can be employed over a 400 nm radius. Not exactly in the Tornado or F-111 class but for a small third world state it could be the difference between external domination or independence.

Production of the 339 is continuing at the rate of three aircraft a month while to date more than 130 aircraft are in service with six operators. The Veltro II continues its test flight programme though must nowadays find heavy competition from the upgraded 339 two-seater itself in addition to the previously listed competing trainers, two of which have a considerable inbuilt ground attack capability. As far as Australia is concerned, Aermacchi must hope that they can keep their assembly lines active long enough for the 339 to become one of the contenders for the eventual MB-326H replacement during the later eighties.