CAE and Leonardo Expand Collaboration to Advance M 346 Training

Our Bureau - : Jul 22, 2026 - : 11:09 pm

CAE and Leonardo on Wednesday announced a collaboration agreement that leverages their partnership on the M 346 Integrated Training System (ITS).

The agreement expands the scope of the CAE–Leonardo relationship and expands its scope into Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) and Live Synthetic Integration (LSI) environments. Together, the companies will collaborate on a technology roadmap that advances the M-346 ITS, including the Block 20 system features.

The two companies will jointly address market opportunities in advanced fighter pilot training and develop advanced capabilities to prepare pilots for evolving operational concepts, including latest and next generation air operations, AI-enabled systems, and increasingly autonomous mission environments.

The International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Decimomannu, Sardinia, the Italian Air Force advanced training school powered by Leonardo in collaboration with CAE, stands as a proven example of the CAE-Leonardo partnership, delivering one of the world’s most integrated fighter jet training environments for complex, next generation operational missions. The integrated training approach demonstrated at IFTS also reflects a growing need for greater interoperability among allied air forces.

“Our longstanding collaboration with Leonardo and the International Flight Training School (IFTS), stands as the premier example of combining highly sophisticated simulation technologies and live flight training to deliver world-class pilot instruction and operational readiness,” said Pascal Grenier, President, CAE Defence & Security. “The future battlespace will place greater demands on pilots than ever before. Through this collaboration, we will develop training environments that help aviators build the judgement, adaptability, and decision-making skills needed to employ advanced and automated mission systems.”

"As nations across the world prepare to operate increasingly advanced and integrated air capabilities, pilot training must rapidly adapt to make sure the entire syllabus and the relevant technologies fully adhere to this evolution,” said Stefano Bortoli, Leonardo Aeronautics Managing Director. "This progressive agreement with our longstanding partner, CAE, will strengthen the development of highly skilled pilots for current and future operational requirements. By combining our complementary know-hows and experiences, already shown through our collaboration on the International Flight Training School, we are strengthening our ability to support defence leaders in ensuring their pilots are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow’s battlespace.”