The MB-339 was born as a replacement for the MB-326 and designed with almost all Italian technology, with the exception of the Rolls-Royce Turbo Viper 632 engine. The MB-339 flew for the first time in 1976 and was introduced in service in 1981, immediately demonstrating great capabilities both as advanced trainer and as ground attack aircraft. Compared to the MB-326, the MB-339 has more power, better maneuverability and control’s precision. The forward part is also completely redesigned to have different heights for the pilot and instructor, allowing a better visibility from the rear seat.

The MB-339 became even more popular thanks to its adoption by the Frecce Tricolori National Aerobatic Team in 1982. The Frecce Tricolori use a modified version of the MB-339A, called MB-339PAN, which features key modifications, such as the installation of a smoke system and the removal of the tip tanks, which can be reinstalled for extended-range ferry missions such as the North American Tour 2024.
The aircraft also had good commercial success outside of Italy, and has been in service in Argentina, Peru, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea and Ghana. Some MB-339s from New Zealand now found a second life with Draken International, which uses them to support training of allied air forces.

The MB-339 “Macchino” has also been for a long time a synonym of the 61° Stormo where, in the last 40 years, it graduated 2,500 pilots and flew for 400,000 hours. Even if it’s closing to the end of its service life, the MB-339 continues to demonstrate itself as an exceptional, safe, reliable machine, and is still used in the “analog” A variant for the Phase 2 training and in the “digital” CD variant for the Phase 3.