Alenia Aermacchi is making a second attempt to sell jet trainers to Chile, as well as airlifters. The Italian company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the national aerospace company ENAER to “collaborate” on the M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) and the C-27J. The two companies signed an MoU in 2008 concerning the M-311 (the predecessor of the M-345), as well as the M-346 advanced jet trainer, but no firm contracts resulted.

The new MoU was signed during a visit to Chile this week by Italy’s defense minister Roberta Pinotti. “We look forward to growing with our partners in this industrial cooperation agreement,” said Alenia Aermacchi. “This relationship of cooperation, technology transfer, production and marketing of aeronautical products and services with Italy begins,” said the director ENAER, Bg. Gen. Henry Cleveland.  

Alenia Aermacchi launched the re-engined M-345 HET in 2013 as a basic-to-advanced jet trainer. The Chilean air force currently uses the ENAER T-35 Pillan for basic training. The C-130 is the mainstay of the service’s airlift fleet. Chile’s naval air arm uses Pilatus PC-7s for basic training.

Last month, Minister Pinotti was supporting Alenia Aermacchi in another Latin American country. She took part in the official handover of the first C-27J for the Peruvian air force in Lima. Peru doubled its order for C-27Js from two to four last December. Alenia Aermacchi said that Peru selected the C-27J because of its “competitive cost in all scenarios”, including hot-and-high operations from semi-prepared airstrips in the Andes.