Aermacchi MB-339

Updated: October 2026 – Nine jets in tight formation, a soloist alongside, and at the end a huge ribbon of green, white and red stretches across the sky: almost every air show fan knows the image of the Frecce Tricolori. The aircraft behind it is the Aermacchi MB-339, a two-seat jet trainer from Varese. Since the late 1970s, generations of Italian military pilots have learned to fly jets on it, and export customers from Argentina to Malaysia followed. Here you’ll learn how to identify the MB-339, which variants exist, what role it plays with the Frecce Tricolori and where you can still see it today.

What is the Aermacchi MB-339?

The MB-339 is a two-seat jet trainer with a tandem cockpit that can also be used as a light ground-attack aircraft. It was built by Aermacchi, a long-established company from Varese in Lombardy that made its name with trainers over several decades. Today the former Aermacchi belongs to the aircraft division of the Leonardo group, which is why you’ll find the type here under that manufacturer.

In the mid-1970s the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) was looking for a replacement for two older types: the MB-326 trainer and the training version of the Fiat G.91T. Aermacchi looked at several completely new designs but chose the pragmatic route: the proven MB-326 airframe was strengthened and given an entirely new forward fuselage. The key difference: the rear seat sits much higher, so the instructor can look forward over the student’s head – a big advantage, especially for landings and weapons exercises. This solution was cheaper than a new design and met the requirements. It was selected in 1975.

The MB-339X prototype first flew on August 12, 1976. From 1979 the Aeronautica Militare took delivery of the first aircraft. The MB-339 is powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper, a simple jet engine with 17.8 kN of thrust in the basic version. In total around 230 aircraft were built; figures vary slightly by source because prototypes and rebuilds are counted differently.

The most important variants

Numerous variants grew out of the basic design – many of them tailored to individual export customers. These are the ones that matter most to you as a spotter:

Variant	Role	What sets it apart
MB-339A	Basic trainer	Original production version for Italy, analog instruments
MB-339PAN	Aerobatics	Frecce Tricolori version with smoke generators, no tip tanks
MB-339K Veltro II	Ground attack	Single-seater with two 30 mm cannons, first flight 1980, found no buyers
MB-339C	Trainer	Revised avionics, more powerful Viper 680 engine, first flight 1985
MB-339CB	Trainer	Version for New Zealand
MB-339CD	Advanced trainer	Italian digital version with multifunction displays and HUD
MB-339FD	Export	Export version of the CD
MB-339NAT	Aerobatics	Version for the United Arab Emirates’ aerobatic team

The MB-339CD – the “CD” stands for Completamente Digitale – has three color screens and a head-up display in both cockpits. That let Italian students work in a cockpit resembling a modern fighter’s already on the trainer. There were also country-specific versions for Malaysia, Peru, Nigeria and Eritrea, which differ mainly in avionics and equipment.

A curiosity on the side: in the late 1980s Aermacchi teamed up with Lockheed to bid the T-Bird II, an MB-339 variant, for the US JPATS training program. The contract went to a turboprop trainer based on the Pilatus PC-9, which became the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II.

How to identify the MB-339

At first glance the MB-339 looks similar to other jet trainers of its generation. Three targeted looks will still let you identify it reliably.

Add to that the small air intakes in the wing roots, a single exhaust nozzle below the tail and a tall vertical stabilizer. In a flyby the MB-339 looks slim and slightly longer than the Aero L-39 Albatros, with which it is often confused.

MB-339, L-39, Hawk or Alpha Jet?

At European air shows you often meet the jet trainers of several countries on the same day. This finder helps you narrow it down.

Turboprop trainers such as the Pilatus PC-21 or the PC-7, on the other hand, give themselves away immediately by their propeller. For an overview of all the fighter and trainer jets you’ll meet in Europe, see the guide Identifying fighter jets in Europe.

The MB-339 with the Frecce Tricolori

The MB-339 became world famous as the aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori. The Italian aerobatic team was founded on March 1, 1961, as the 313° Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico and is based at Rivolto air base in the province of Udine in northeastern Italy. Its official name is Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale, or PAN for short – hence the type designation of the aerobatic version.

The team began with the F-86E Sabre and from 1964 flew the Fiat G.91 PAN. In 1982 it switched to the MB-339PAN. The aerobatic aircraft have generators that produce colored smoke and fly without the wingtip tanks of the training version. In a display, nine jets in tight formation plus a soloist are in the air – making the Frecce Tricolori one of the largest jet aerobatic teams. The finale is traditionally the smoke trail in the Italian national colors.

The MB-339 also has a reputation for its aerobatics: with it the Frecce fly maneuvers such as the Lomcovák, a tumbling flip maneuver you’d otherwise expect more from propeller-driven aerobatic aircraft.

Ramstein 1988

The MB-339’s history also includes its darkest chapter. On August 28, 1988, three Frecce Tricolori MB-339s collided during a maneuver at an air show at Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. One aircraft crashed, burning, into the spectators. Three pilots and 67 spectators were killed, and hundreds were seriously injured. The disaster permanently changed the safety rules for air shows in Germany – the background is covered in the article Ramstein air show disaster 1988.

The switch to the M-346

For a long time the M-345 was discussed as the Frecce’s successor. On September 12, 2024, however, the Italian Air Force and Leonardo presented the M-346 as the team’s new aircraft, with a new livery by Pininfarina. Fifteen aircraft in a dedicated PAN configuration are on order for the team. Exactly when the last MB-339PAN will trace its smoke trail depends on deliveries – as of October 2026, every Frecce appearance with the MB-339 is all the more worth catching. You’ll find more on the team in the article Frecce Tricolori, and a comparison with other teams in the overview Aerobatic teams of Europe.

In service with the Aeronautica Militare

Besides aerobatics, the MB-339 was the backbone of Italian jet training for decades. Its main home was the 61° Stormo at Galatina in Apulia, where aspiring military pilots completed their basic jet training on the A version. The MB-339CD took over the next stage: students selected for fighters or remotely piloted aircraft train on it. The air force also lists a secondary role for the CD in defending against slow, low-flying targets.

The generational change is now underway. The M-345 has taken over basic training; according to Italian reference works, the last MB-339As were retired at Galatina in June 2025. For advanced training, Italy has been using the M-346 Master for some time. The MB-339CD and the Frecce Tricolori’s PAN aircraft remain active for now.

In export and in action

The MB-339 has also left its mark outside Italy – partly with real combat history.

• Argentina: Naval aviation received ten MB-339As in 1981. During the Falklands War in 1982, some of them were based at Port Stanley. On May 21, 1982, one aircraft attacked the British landing fleet and lightly damaged the frigate HMS Argonaut; several MB-339s were lost or captured by the British.
• New Zealand: The Royal New Zealand Air Force flew 18 MB-339CBs from 1991 to 2002. Nine of them went to the US contractor Draken International in 2012 and later to the French company SDTS, which uses the jets for training and target-simulation contracts.
• United Arab Emirates: The Al Fursan aerobatic team flies modernized MB-339NATs.
• Eritrea: The Eritrean air force used its MB-339CEs in the border war with Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000.
• Other users: Malaysia, Peru, Nigeria and Ghana also operated the type; these fleets have since been retired or put into storage.

For spotters in central Europe, the export aircraft are rather rarities. You’re most likely to encounter the French civil MB-339s or the Emirati jets at international air shows. How to track such flights online is explained in the article Tracking military aircraft online.

Where you can see the MB-339 today

Place	Chance	Why
Air shows with the Frecce Tricolori	high	Displays in Italy and abroad, as long as the MB-339PAN flies
Italian air bases	medium	Training operations with the MB-339CD, open days
Aviation museums in Italy	high	Vigna di Valle shows the type in Frecce colors
International air shows	low to medium	Al Fursan or civilian-operated examples

If you want to see the Frecce Tricolori live, your best bet is to check the air show calendar: the team performs in Italy and at selected events abroad every season. Which events are worth it is listed in Air shows in Europe for plane spotters. If you want to take photos near an air base, read the notes in Photographing military airfields first – strict rules apply at military facilities in Italy.

On the ground, the Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare in Vigna di Valle on Lake Bracciano has a dedicated area on the Italian aerobatic teams, including an MB-339 in Frecce colors. You’ll find visiting tips on the spot page Vigna di Valle; it combines well with a day in Rome Fiumicino. In the north, Volandia, right at Milan Malpensa Airport, shows the aviation and industrial history of the region where Aermacchi is based – visitor information is on the spot page Volandia.

Photo tips for the MB-339

Aerobatic displays are fast and cover a lot of sky. These points will help you get better pictures:

How to capture flying displays cleanly is covered in the guide Photographing air shows.

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

Conclusion

The Aermacchi MB-339 is more than a trainer: it has shaped Italian military aviation for four decades, flew in two wars and has been the face of the Frecce Tricolori since 1982. The long, drooped nose, stepped canopy and straight wing make it easy to recognize, and the serial supplies the history behind it. Because the M-346 is taking over the aerobatic role, a Frecce appearance with the MB-339 is especially worthwhile right now.