The United Arab Emirates government announced on February 25 at IDEX 2009 (International Defence Exhibition & Conference) in Abu Dhabi that it had begun negotiations for the acquisition of 48 Alenia Aermacchi M-346 "Master" advanced lead-in fighter trainer aircraft. The M-346 was selected over the BAE Systems Hawk Mk.128 and KAI T-50 Golden Eagle, which were also short-listed.

The agreement also includes the creation of a joint venture in the UAE between Alenia Aermacchi and the Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) to establish a final assembly line for the M-346. The UAE Government's selection of the M-346 forms part of a broader industrial co-operation agreement recently signed by Alenia Aermacchi parent company Finmeccanica and Mubadala.

First deliveries to the UAE Air Force (UAEAF) are expected around 2012. The M-346 "Master" will be operated by the UAEAF as advanced trainer in its fighter pilot training programme as well as for the combat air support role. Although the exact split between training and combat aircraft was not revealed, the Request for Proposals issued last year stated 20 trainer variants, 20 combat variants, and eight aircraft to form an aerobatic display team.