Leonardo on Track to Build T-100 Aircraft Manufacturing Facility in Alabama

Leonardo executives have told Alabama government officials that the aerospace company is on track to build a T-100 trainer aircraft manufacturing facility in the state.

Leonardo toured a group of Alabama officials around its Venegono Superiore aircraft factory in Italy to demonstrate the production of T-100 trainers, the company’s U.S.-based Leonardo DRS subsidiary said Thursday

Leonardo plans to build a manufacturing facility in Tuskegee, Alabama if it wins the contract to replace the U.S. Air Force‘s fleet of T-38 planes.

The Air Force is scheduled to announce its decision in March 2018.

Guido Sibona, head of industrial engineering for Leonardo’s aircraft division, said the company will kick off construction of the Tuskegee aircraft facility in July 2018, with completion scheduled in 2021.

Sibona added that Leonardo will start hiring for the facility in early 2020, then begin low-rate production of T-100s two years later.

Leonardo DRS will lead the T-100 production effort in Alabama and will work with Honeywell‘s aerospace business unit and CAE on the program.

T-100 is based on Leonardo’s M-346 trainer, which has been chosen by the air forces of Israel, Singapore, Poland and Italy.