Alenia Aeronautica, the company that heads up Finmeccanica’s aeronautics division, together with its subsidiaries and joint ventures, are participating again at the Paris Air Show with the latest technology in the field of tactical transport aircraft, fighter aircraft, other special-version aircraft, unmanned and trainer aircraft, regional aircraft, aerostructures, and simulation systems.

On show in the Finmeccanica static display area are the C-27J and the Eurofighter Typhoon used by the Italian air force, the ATR 42 MP used by the Italian coastguard, the trainer aircraft produced by Alenia Aermacchi (the M-346 and M-311) and the mock-up of the Sky-Y unmanned aircraft.

The C-27J, constructed by Alenia Aeronautica, is a tactical transport aircraft that offers great versatility in terms of application, interoperability and load capacity, and is able to take off and land on short or semi-prepared runways.

The ATR 42 MP is the maritime patrol version of the ATR 42 regional transport aircraft and has been specially designed by Alenia Aeronautica. It is a highly innovative aircraft that can be used in multiple roles, such as maritime patrol (for the search and identification of surface vessels), search and rescue, the fight against drug trafficking, piracy and smuggling, assistance in the event of environmental disasters (e.g. oil or chemical spills), protection of territorial waters (e.g. fishing areas, off-shore drilling rights) and environmental monitoring.

The M-346, built by Alenia Aermacchi, has recently been purchased by the Italian and Singaporean governments and has also been selected by the UAE government. It is the most advanced trainer aircraft currently available and is the only one in the world designed to train pilots on the latest generation of high-performance military aircraft.

The M-346 is the ideal platform for a latest-generation integrated training system. Alenia Aermacchi’s integrated training system includes not only the aircraft, but also a ground-based training system (GBTS) that enables pilots to become familiar with the system and practice the training activities on the ground before developing them further in the air.

Alenia Aermacchi’s M-311, for basic-advanced training, is the most cost-effective solution to basic jet training for future military pilots.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multi-role supersonic twin-engine aircraft for air defence, interdiction and air superiority, and, with more than 700 aircraft commissioned, it is the largest production programme for next-generation fighter aircraft, the result of collaboration between the governments and businesses of four nations (Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain).

Alenia Aeronautica’s Sky-Y is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) developed specifically to demonstrate innovative technologies and techniques for medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) aircraft to be used in surveillance missions.

Both ATR and SuperJet International, through which Alenia Aeronautica is a world leader in regional turbo-prop and jet aircraft, are also at Le Bourget with their own chalets.

SuperJet International (SJI) is a joint venture between Alenia Aeronautica (51%) and Sukhoi Holding (49%) and is responsible for the marketing, sale and customisation of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional transport jet in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Japan and Oceania, as well as for pilot training and after-sales service throughout the world. The company is also responsible for the design and development of the VIP, business and cargo versions of the aircraft.

The ATR program, which is managed by the 50/50 joint venture between Alenia Aeronautica and EADS, is currently the world’s leading success story in the segment of regional turbo-prop aircraft with 50 to 70-seat capacities. The new 600 series is to feature greater power and performance, lower maintenance and fuel costs, a latest-generation avionics suite, more comfortable cabins and lower per-passenger CO2 emissions.

Two simulators that exemplify the technological excellence of Alenia Aeronautica are also on display. The simulators of the C-27J and the T-100 training craft (the American version of the M-346) are able to provide the most realistic training for all crew training needs. Both machines provide a faithful replica of the cockpit and come with systems that simulate the performance, avionics and aeromechanical characteristics of the aircraft, all within a virtual environment that replicates the external environment and provides pilots with the full range of inputs that they would experience during an actual flight.

The Finmeccanica stand is also featuring an area dedicated to Alenia SIA, a systems engineering subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica, which will be presenting its computer-based training (CBT) system and its 3D maintenance trainer. Alenia SIA has extensive experience and expertise in the design, qualification, development, industrialisation, customisation and support of engineering services for a product’s entire life cycle.