countries. The Block 2 is already in use by the air forces of Myanmar and Nigeria. In the case of the HAL Tejas, the model comes from a very long development process and is not yet fully operational. This has generated a loss of interest from potential buyers. HAL is currently finishing developing the Mk.1A variant, which will be produced in small numbers for the Indian Air Force, while is progressing with the Mk.2, which will have far superior capabilities. Although HAL has been offering it to other countries, such as Argentina and Egypt, for now it does not arouse much interest. In the case of the Hongdu L-15, the aircraft slightly resembles Russian Yak-130, with the L-15B variant for attack and light combat, with supersonic capability. In addition to China, the L-15, in its training version, is operated by Zambia, while a contract with the United Arab Emirates is being negotiated. The Yak-130 is the oldest of the models in production, developed in the 1990s and currently in service in Russia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. On the basis of the Yak-130, after having collaborated in its design, Leonardo offers the M346, from which its M3-46FA combat variant derives. Today it is one of the most successful models in this segment. The basic M346 is serving with Azerbaijan, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Israel, Poland, Qatar, Singapore and Turkmenistan. Nigeria and Turkmenistan are the first operators of the M-346FA variant. The aircraft stands out for its endurance and armament capability, as well as for its combat systems. Finally, the Textron AirLand Scorpion is a proposal for a light attack aircraft developed since 2011, but which has not found buyers so far. To date, we can assess that the offer is consistent enough to respond to the requirements air forces of any size and ambition might have. Theme: Light Fighters MT 2/2023 · 23 The Leonardo M-346FA is an evolution of the M-346 trainer, with remarkable weapons capacity for its size, good endurance and advanced systems. (Photo: Leonardo).
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