Days after it was wheeled out of the factory, the first jet built for Italy's new-generation Frecce Tricolori has left the ground. The M-346 in the team's new Pininfarina livery made its maiden flight from Leonardo's airfield at Venegono on Thursday, 29 October 2026.

It was a short functional test flight, according to The Aviationist, which published photographs of the sortie by local spotter Jacopo Castelli. The jet took off, flew its checks and landed back at Venegono. Italian outlets Aviation Report and Forze Armate reported the same date.

For the Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale, the moment is historic. The team has flown the MB-339 since 1982. This aircraft is the first of the jets that will eventually replace it.

A test flight days after rollout

We covered the jet's rollout at Venegono last week. Thursday's flight is the next step: the jet now has to work through the functional test flights that every new airframe completes before it is handed to its customer.

The aircraft still lacks its individual number and the Frecce Tricolori markings on the tail, The Aviationist noted. According to unconfirmed reports cited by the same outlet, more M-346s for the team are already in final assembly.

Fifteen jets for the team

The Italian Air Force picked the M-346 as the team's next aircraft in September 2024, announcing the decision at a ceremony at Istrana air base to welcome the Frecce home from their North America tour. The livery by Pininfarina, the Turin design house best known for its car bodies, was revealed at the same event.

The team will receive 15 aircraft. Ten will fly in the display formation, one goes to the commander and four will be spares. A display line-up of ten jets, nine in close formation plus the soloist, has been the Frecce signature for decades.

The Italian Air Force's own video of an M-346 flying in the new Frecce Tricolori livery, released when the aircraft was presented in 2024.

A livery built for formation flying

The new paint has divided fans. Instead of the glossy blue of the MB-339, the M-346 wears a matte dark blue with a large white area on the back. The underside is deliberately asymmetric, with the green, white and red of the Italian flag split across it rather than mirrored on both sides.

There is a practical reason, The Aviationist explains. The dark matte blue and the large white areas increase contrast against clear and overcast skies, and the asymmetric belly lets the pilots tell at a glance which way a neighbouring jet is oriented during tight formation manoeuvres.

No date has been set publicly for the team's first display on the new jet. For now, one aircraft has flown, the rest are on the way, and the MB-339 keeps the smoke on until the handover is complete.

Sources: The Aviationist, Aviation Report, Forze Armate, Italian Ministry of Defence, Wikipedia