Jakarta went shopping for a frontline fighter and came home, instead, with a very clever trainer that shoots back.

At Farnborough on 21 July, Leonardo and its Indonesian partner PT ESystem Solutions signed a contract with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence for 12 M-346F Block 20 aircraft — the light-fighter evolution of Italy’s M-346 jet trainer. The deal, confirmed by Leonardo’s Lorenzo Mariani, is worth close to a billion euros and makes Indonesia the 23rd operator of the M-346 family.

A trainer that grew teeth

The M-346 made its name teaching pilots to fly fast jets. The Block 20 keeps that lead-in training role but adds the equipment of a real combat aircraft: Leonardo’s new GRIFO-E active electronically scanned array radar, a Link 16 tactical datalink, a Large Area Display cockpit, upgraded electronic warfare, and compatibility with a broad menu of precision-guided weapons. It is configured to the same standard Austria selected — a sign the Block 20 is becoming the family’s reference build.

For a rising air force, the appeal is economics. A light fighter that also trains your pilots does two jobs on one budget, and it does them at a fraction of the cost-per-hour of a frontline type.

Replacing the Hawks, hedging the fleet

The M-346Fs will replace Indonesia’s ageing BAE Hawks and slot in beneath its more capable frontline fighters, handling advanced training and light attack while keeping running costs down. It is a pragmatic middle tier for a country modernising an unusually mixed fleet — and it lands after Jakarta’s more ambitious plans for heavier Western fighters cooled.

Crucially for Indonesia, the contract brings work home: localised support, maintenance, overhaul and training, plus investment in local technical skills. Deliveries begin in 2030.

Another win for Italy’s quiet exporter

For Leonardo, the Indonesian signature continues a remarkable run. After Austria and other recent customers, the Block 20 configuration is fast becoming the standard everyone wants, and the M-346 is carving out exactly the niche many mid-tier air forces need: a single platform that trains pilots and flies credible combat missions.

The video below explains why the little Italian jet keeps winning orders around the world.

It is not a headline-grabbing stealth fighter. But in a market full of air forces seeking capability without bankruptcy, that is precisely the point — and Italy keeps finding buyers for it.

Sources: Leonardo press release (21 July 2026); FlightGlobal; EDR Magazine; Defense News; itamilradar.