M-346 wins in Israel

[AlfaSigma]

On February 16 Israel announced the selection of the Italian M-346 over the Korean T-50, as its new training aircraft. 30 planes are to be bought for around $1bn. The agreement is subject to Governments approval.

The M-346 was considered by the Israeli Air Force as the better choice on both cost and performance. The deal includes the acquisition by Italy of 2 to 4 Israel built CAEW aircraft but what sealed the deal was likely an additional agreement for joint development and acquisition of an intelligence satellite (of unspecified type but probably optical).
Israel operates a number of optical IMINT satellites, the latest of which, the Ofeq 9, is attributed a resolution "better than half a meter".

Italy had long sought an AEW capability and the addition of an optical intelligence satellite would complement the Cosmo-Skymed SAR platforms.

[Dodger67]

Half-metre resolution satellite imagery is available commercially, so the Israeli satellite would have to be significantly better than that to be worth it.

[kato]

Originally Posted by AlfaSigma

the addition of an optical intelligence satellite would complement the Cosmo-Skymed SAR platforms.

Germany and France charging too much (financially or politically) for hooking 'em into E-SGA, eh?

[AlfaSigma]

Originally Posted by kato

Germany and France charging too much (financially or politically) for hooking 'em into E-SGA, eh?

As is my understanding E-SGA is a Germany France programme for joint exploitation of SAR Lupe and Helios 2.
Italy has with France an agreement to share Cosmo Skymed and Pleiades. The snag being that the first Cosmo was operational in 2007 while the first Pleiades was only just launched December 2011.
That is one of the reasons why in Italy some are voicing their dissatisfaction at cooperation with the French.

[kato]

E-SGA is open to unspecified further "partner nations".