Ten U.S. college students at the moment are enrolled on the Worldwide Flight Coaching Faculty to finish a 133-day Primary Jet Coaching course within the T-346A Grasp.
Following an settlement with the Italian Air Pressure in August 2025, the U.S. Air Pressure is now coaching ten of its scholar pilots on the Worldwide Flight Coaching Faculty (IFST), Decimomannu Air Base, Italy. The 2 providers have partnered to execute an undergraduate flying coaching program Small Group Tryout, which can take a look at modernized syllabi and streamlined coaching timelines with the purpose of decreasing pilot certification to lower than one 12 months.
Coaching in Italy
As a part of the “Idea of Operations (CONOPS) for Flight Coaching of the USAF Army Personnel in Italy,” the IFTS was chosen for its confirmed excellence and skill to supply an modern and difficult coaching program, with the Leonardo T-346A jet coach outlined as an extra energy behind this settlement.
The scholars first attended civilian flight school-led Preliminary Pilot Coaching within the U.S. Whereas in Italy, they’re attending a 133-day Primary Jet Coaching course within the T-346A Grasp jet coach will permit them to earn their U.S. Air Pressure pilot wings.
The 2 providers labored collectively on the event of coaching program, structured across the “Multiphase Jet Coaching Built-in Syllabus.” Flights of U.S. college students on the T-346 are already ongoing.
Following commencement, the scholars chosen for fighter roles will keep at Decimomannu for a further 135-day T-346 superior coaching course earlier than progressing to U.S. fighter formal coaching models. The remaining college students will practice stateside in mobility, particular operations, or command and management platforms.
This system is predicted to final roughly 9 months and can conclude in June 2026. The U.S. Air Pressure mentioned the coaching in Italy will present AETC with worthwhile classes to refine the pilot coaching pipeline and totally leverage the capabilities of the T-7A.
Making ready for the T-7
The initiative has a second purpose because the U.S. Air Pressure prepares to introduce its new jet coach. Actually, the primary T-7A Crimson Hawk plane is ready to reach at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, in early December.
“This initiative is predicted to offer worthwhile information for optimizing pilot coaching strategies as we put together to ramp up the T-7A,” mentioned Col. Corey Hogue, Functionality Necessities Division Chief, Air Training and Coaching Command. “Not solely will we collect information on the effectiveness of our proposed syllabus, however we will additionally validate the feasibility of sending trainees immediately from IPT to coach in a contemporary coaching plane, just like the T-7A Redhawk.”
Hogue’s assertion refers to the truth that these ten college students progressed immediately from civilian-instruction IPT to fast-jet coaching. As confirmed by the press launch, that is the primary such occasion of scholars utilizing a single army coach, as an alternative of a primary part on the turboprop T-6 Texan II after which a jet coach.
The brand new undergraduate pilot coaching program goals to supply 1,500 new pilots yearly by streamlining the pipeline for fight plane from the present 528 days to roughly 364, explains the U.S. Air Pressure. This change in Italy is getting used as a chance to evaluate its feasibility.
Moreover, the coaching in Italy will assist outline potential roles for the T-7A in future pilot coaching pipelines, says the U.S. Air Pressure. This consists of assessing efficiency metrics for optimization, evaluating coaching outcomes throughout platforms, and evaluating superior simulation capabilities for integration into real-world coaching situations.
The service famous that this initiative will not be remoted, however it’s in coordination with Formal Coaching Items. The purpose is to extend the throughput of pilots advancing to their assigned operational platforms, whereas on the identical time enhancing the general high quality and readiness of Airmen coming into the power.
Worldwide Flight Coaching Faculty
The Worldwide Flight Coaching Faculty undertaking was introduced in 2018 on the Farnborough Airshow, when the letter of intent was signed by the ItAF chief of workers and the CEO of Leonardo. Primarily based at Decimomannu AB, the varsity covers the Part IV coaching, or Lead-In Fighter Coaching, with the T-346A.
As a part of the IFTS, the ItAF has the lead for the administration of the operational necessities and of the operations, in addition to the maintenance of the standard requirements of the flight faculty. The ItAF can also be answerable for the administration of the coaching syllabus, the coaching of the instructors and the standard management of the exit stage of the scholars.
Leonardo is answerable for the investments for the creation of the varsity with plane and simulators of the newest era and new floor infrastructures, in addition to the operations’ assist with technicians that can facet with the army personnel. The brand new campus in Decimomannu takes full benefit of the Sardinian coaching infrastructures already used for years by the Italian army.
A whole constructing is devoted to the Floor Primarily based Coaching System (GBTS) amenities, with latest-generation simulation methods, inclusive of two Full Mission Simulators and three Half Process Coach artificial simulators for emergency administration coaching modules and extra superior coaching missions, in addition to lecture rooms and places of work.
Leonardo and CAE, by the three way partnership “Leonardo CAE Superior Jet Coaching”, present technical-logistic assist to the Worldwide Flight Coaching Faculty, together with full upkeep and operation of the M-346 plane and its Floor-Primarily based Coaching System, in addition to operation of IFTS base amenities. The built-in assist optimizes the administration of fleets and simulators for optimum operability, together with the superior full-mission simulator collectively developed by Leonardo and CAE.
The IFTS has already turn into internationally famend, all through its first years of operations, as some of the superior and state-of-the-art flight faculties for the coaching of future fighter jet pilots. The varsity is now a world reference for Superior LIFT to higher put together pilots that can fly on front-line fighters of 4+ and fifth gen, just like the Eurofighter Storm and the F-35.
The IFTS college students are adopted all through their coaching by a staff of 40 instructors, each army and civilian, whereas flying greater than 8,000 flight hours per 12 months on the M-346 Grasp and as many within the superior flight simulators, for a few 1:1 ratio between actual and simulated flight hours. The varsity exploits the ItAF’s in depth know-how within the coaching sector and the nationwide business’s excellence within the built-in coaching methods.
