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The Aermacchi MB-339 is an Italian military trainer and light attack aircraft. It was developed as a replacement for the earlier MB-326.
[edit] Design and developmentThe MB-339 is of conventional configuration, and shares much of the 326's airframe. It has a low, un-swept wing with tip tanks and jet intakes in the roots, tricycle undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in tandem. The most significant revision was a redesign of the forward fuselage to raise the instructor's seat to allow visibility over and past the student pilot's head. The first flight took place on 12 August 1976 and deliveries to the Italian Air Force commenced in 1979.[1] Still in production in 2004 in an enhanced version with a much-modernised cockpit. Over 200 MB-339s have been built, with roughly half of them going to the Italian Air Force. The Lockheed-Aermacchi MB-339 T-Bird II was a losing contender in the USA's Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) aircraft selection. Among the seven to enter, the Raytheon/Pilatus entry won, which became the T-6 Texan II. According to an article posted on the Italian website 'Il Porto Franci', called 'Armi e finanziamenti nel corno d'Africa', Eritrea paid about $US 50 million for six MB-339 CEs in 1997. This is the original MB-339 with more advanced avionics for the ground attack role, RWR, uprated Viper 680-43 engine, and larger wingtip tanks. It is capable of carrying Sidewinder AAMs, AGM-65 Maverick AGMs, and laser-guided bombs. Unit price of the MB-339C would have to be somewhere around $US 8.3 million in 1997 dollars. [edit] Variants
[edit] Operational history[edit] ArgentinaThe Argentine Navy (Comando de Aviación Naval) was the first foreign user of the forerunner MB-326GB, buying eight in 1969. Ten MB-339s arrived in 1979 and were the only attack jets to operate from Port Stanley Airport (along with turboprops FMA IA 58 Pucarás and T-34 Mentors) during the Falklands War in 1982. On 21 May during a routine reconnaissance flight and flown by Lieutenant Owen Crippa, a MB-339 was the first one to attack the Royal Navy amphibious force hitting HMS Argonaut.[3] Three airframes were captured by the British. [4] and one, (0766 (4-A-114)) was shot down by a Blowpipe missile during the Battle for Goose Green, the Pilot Lt Miguel, was killed.[5] 11 surplus Brazilian Air Force MB-326GC were delivered after the war and are still in service and they are locally known as MC-32. [edit] EritreaDuring tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia in the late 1990´s, Eritrea started to rebuild its air force. In 1995-1996, the Eritreans ordered six Aermacchi MB.339FD strike fighters, with which the first combat unit of the ERAF was founded in 1997. They have proved their worth as training aircraft and even during the early fighting in 1998. Their initial deployment started on 5 June 1998 (the same day in which the EtAF also started its operations). During the same afternoon, the Ethiopians reported two attacks of Eritrean MB.339FDs on the city of Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopian province Tigray. Supposedly, as many as 44 civilians were killed and 135 injured as cluster bombs were used. However, on 6 June one of the Macchis was shot down north of Mekelle. The pilot ejected and was rescued by a Mi-8 of the ERAF. The Eritrean Macchis were deployed again on the next day during the fighting around Erde Mattios. On the morning of 12 June 1998, two Eritrean Mi-8 appeared in low level over Addis Pharmaceutical works, in Adigrat, attempting to bomb it. Their weapons, however, fell a few yards from the plant and caused only minor damage. Only a couple of hours later, four MB.339s rocketed and cluster-bombed against several targets in the city as well. According to Ethiopian sources four people died and 30 other were injured during those attacks. In order to find a reason for its counteroffensive with aim of capturing Badme, on 5 February 1999 the Ethiopian government claimed that two Eritrean MB.339FDs attacked a fuel depot in Adigrat, some 48 kilometres inside the Ethiopian border, important for the supply of Ethiopian army with fuel.[6] [edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (MB-339A) Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1980-81 [8] General characteristics
Performance
Armament [edit] See alsoRelated development Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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