Siły Powietrzne M-346s serials 7701 and 7708 at the Leonardo plant at Venegono on October 27 prior to their delivery.
Paolo RollinoSubscribe to http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
for breaking news stories. E-mail the news team
at [email protected]http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #358 JANUARY 2018 // 13Holloman farewell scheme for Tornado
Dr Andreas Zeitler
LUFTWAFFE TORNADO
44+34 received this
special scheme to mark
its final flight with the
German Air Force Flying
Training Center (GAFFTC)
at Holloman Air Force
Base, New Mexico, on
September 11, 2017.
It was one of three
Holloman-based Tornados
that returned to Germany
on September 13, arriving
together with 45+
(GAFFTC markings)
and 45+61 (Taktisches
Luftwaffengeschwader 51
‘Immelmann’ markings). As
reported last month, the
jets flew from Holloman
to Bangor International
Airport, Maine, on
September 11 before
proceeding non-stop to
Germany two days later.
Tornados 44+34 and 45+
went to Büchel air base
while 45+35 arrived at
Manching. On November
8, Tornado 44+34 departed
Büchel for Manching,
where it will undergo the
ASSTA 3.1 upgrade.LEONARDO RESUMED
deliveries of the last
six M-346s to the Siły
Powietrzne (SP, Polish Air
Force) in October 2017.
The next two aircraft
(serials 7701 and 7708 –
the first and last to be built)
took off from the Leonardo
plant at Varese-VenegonoAirport on October 30.
The original contract stated
that all eight aircraft were
to be delivered before
the end of that month.
The first two M-346s
arrived in Poland in
November 2016. Due to a
lack of weapons-release
software for some of thearmament used by Polish
F-16s, delivery of the third,
fourth, fifth and sixth
M-346s has been delayed.
The software has been
upgraded in accordance
with Polish requests and
the aircraft were due
to restart acceptance
trials in November.Meanwhile, Leonardo has
begun training some Polish
pilots and instructors
on the new aircraft in
Venegono, using Italian
Air Force T-346As, to
minimise the impact on the
Polish training syllabus.Paolo RollinoFinal fl ight for Italian Air
Force Atlantic
THE BREGUET Atlantic
completed its final flight in
service with the Aeronautica
Militare (AM, Italian Air Force)
on November 22, 2017.
Previously, a retirement
ceremony had been held
at Sigonella on September
21, during which the 88°
Gruppo (88th Squadron)
of the 41° Stormo (41st
Wing) of the Italian Air
Force unveiled the final
special colour scheme for
the Atlantic. The markings
on P-1150A MM40118 ‘41-
03’ celebrate the type’s
45 years of service during
which it completed more
than 250,000 flight hours.
For its last flight, MM
departed Sigonella, home
of the 41° Stormo, for
Pratica di Mare, near
Rome. Subsequently the
aircraft will be dismantled
and transported to Vigna
di Valle, and preserved
at the Museo Storico
dell’Aeronautica Militare.
The Atlantic will be
replaced by the Leonardo
P-72A, the first two of
which have been delivered.
The third is due to be
handed over before the
end of the 2017, and the
last by May 2018. These
last two will be in the final
operational configuration.Polish Master deliveries continue