Alenia Aeronautica G.222

Summary

Category	Transport aircraft
Origin country	🇮🇹 Italy
First flight	18 July 1970
Year of introduction	1978
Number produced	111 units

Description

During 1992, Alenia Aermacchi signed a cooperation agreement with Russian aircraft company Yakovlev to support a new trainer that the firm was developing for the Russian Air Force. Aermacchi secured the right to modify and market the aircraft for the Western market, resulting in an aircraft that first flew in 1996, marketed as the Yak/AEM-130.

By 1998, due to a lack of Russian financial support, the venture increasingly became an Italian-led effort. By mid-2000, differences between the two firms and a lack of backing from the Russian participants had ended the partnership, with each company pursuing independent development. Yakovlev received a final payment of US$77 million for technical documents and was granted rights to sell the Yak-130 to countries such as those in the Commonwealth of Independent States, India, Slovakia, and Algeria, while Aermacchi had the right to sell the M-346 to NATO nations and others.

The M-346 is a highly modified version of the aircraft developed under the joint venture, using equipment exclusively from Western manufacturers.

The first M-346 prototype rolled out on 7 June 2003 and conducted its maiden flight on 15 July 2004. On 20 June 2011, a Military Type Certification was granted to Alenia Aermacchi for the M-346 Master by the General Directorate for Aeronautical Armaments of the Italian Ministry of Defence in Rome.

Main Variants:

C-27J Spartan: A military transport aircraft developed as a joint venture with Lockheed Martin, featuring a glass cockpit and enhanced engines.
ATR 42: A regional airliner produced as part of a joint venture, known for its short take-off and landing capabilities.
ATR 72: A larger version of the ATR 42, also a regional airliner, offering increased passenger capacity.
Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master: An advanced jet trainer aircraft, derived from a joint development with Yakovlev, featuring Western-sourced equipment.
AMX International: A collaborative project with Embraer resulting in a ground-attack aircraft tailored for battlefield interdiction, reconnaissance, and close air support.

Technical specifications

Version: G.222TCM
Maximum speed	540 km/h (336 mph)
Wing area	82 m² (882.6 sqft)
Wingspan	28.7 m (94.2 ft)
Height	9.8 m (32.2 ft)
Length	22.7 m (74.5 ft)
Service ceiling	7620 m (25000 ft)
Empty weight	15400 kg (33951 lbs)
Max. takeoff weight	28000 kg (61729 lbs)
Climb rate	8.6 m/s (28.2 ft/s)
Takeoff distance	662 m (2172 ft)
Powerplant	2 × turboprops General Electric T64-GE-4PD delivering 2501 kW

Current operating countries

Country		Units
	Australia	10
	Italy	10
	Greece	8
	Romania	7
	United States	7
	Mexico	4
	Morocco	4
	Peru	4
	Bulgaria	3
	Kenya	3
	Lithuania	3
	Slovakia	2 (+1)
	Chad	2
	Turkmenistan	2
	Zambia	2
	Nigeria	1
	Slovenia	0 (+1)