The International Flight Training School (IFTS) is the result of the strategic collaboration between Leonardo and the Italian Air Force to create an advanced flight training centre – an international reference for the training of military pilots, and is supported by for an industrial partnership with CAE for the maintenance and support activities of the aircraft fleet and simulators.

The IFTS programme, already chosen by Qatar, Germany, Singapore and Japan, corresponds to phase 4 "Lead-In to Fighter Training - LIFT" of the Italian Air Force training syllabus. This phase, based on the M-346 integrated training system, prepares the way for subsequent deployment on fighter aircraft.

The IFTS relies on an international team of instructor pilots who train students for operational readiness through training programmes with modules tailored to the requirements of the various participating air forces.

The Academy, currently operational at the Italian Air Force base in Galatina (Lecce), will be progressively moved to Decimomannu (Cagliari) from 2022, where a campus is being built to house students, instructors and technical staff. 

Leonardo and CAE, through the joint venture "Leonardo CAE Advanced Jet Training", provide technical-logistic support to the IFTS, which can count on a fleet of 22 M-346, equipped with the Embedded Tactical Training System (ETTS), allowing the aircraft to emulate sensors, weapons and Computer Generated Forces (CGF) and enabling pilots to interact in real-time, through Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) training. Training is complemented by the Ground Based Training System (GBTS), comprising various flight and mission simulation systems, multimedia courses, mission planning and training management systems, and the Integrated Logistics System (ILS), an integrated logistic support service that optimises the management of fleets and simulators to maximise operational capability.