Alenia North America, a subsidiary of Alenia Aermacchi and part of the Finmeccanica Group, has announced that it is changing its name to Alenia Aermacchi North America effective April 17, 2012. Alenia Aermacchi North America’s parent company, formerly Alenia Aeronautica, also has adopted the Aermacchi name following a merger of Finmeccanica’s Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia Aermacchi aeronautics brands.

Alenia Aermacchi North America’s products include the C-27J multipurpose military cargo aircraft in use by the U.S. Air Force and the G222, a multi-mission, medium transport aircraft purchased by the U.S. Air Force for use by the Afghanistan Air Force. Alenia Aermacchi North America plans to bid the T-100 Integrated Training System, a variant of Alenia Aermacchi’s M-346, to the U.S. Air Force’s T-X Advanced Pilot Training Family of Systems competition.

“Our new name is actually not new at all,” said Alenia Aermacchi North America Chief Executive Officer Alan Calegari. “Alenia Aermacchi is a division of the Finmeccanica group that has been in continuous operation since 1913. It is a name that reflects nearly a century of building the highest quality products.”

Over its almost 100 year history, Alenia Aermacchi has designed, built, and maintained over 12,000 aircraft. The company started operations a mere decade after the Wright brothers’ first flight. In Italy, the name Alenia Aermacchi is associated with great aviation pioneers, cutting edge aircraft design, and the history of flight.

Alenia North America press release