SIAI-Marchetti planned to offer the type to the company's existing customer base, consisting of various air forces around the world that operated their SF.260, a piston-engined trainer.

According to Aermacchi, the acquisition would enable significant cost savings in production following consolidation to its Venegono Inferiore facility.

[8] It is furnished with a retractable tricycle landing gear and is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4C turbofan powerplant.

The front and rear cockpits are fully duplicated, the latter being elevated above the former to provide the occupant with improved forward visibility.

[8] The airframe is largely composed of several composite materials, which includes Kevlar, Nomex and carbon fibre, while extensive use of structural bonding was made during construction.

Many other systems, such as the air brake, landing gear, compressor, and boosted ailerons, are hydraulically-actuated at a nominal operating pressure of 200 bar (3,000 psi).

To facilitate engine start-up and accommodate emergency situations, the aircraft is outfitted with a nickel-cadmium battery unit.

It uses a non-ozone-depleting vapour cycle for cooling, which is combined with bleed air drawn from the engine for heat and pressurisation alike.

Fuel is housed internally within both the integral wing tank and a bladder cell within the fuselage, accommodating a combined 955 L (210 U.S. gal).

[8] Since the 1990s, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has been using its S-211 fleet both as a trainer and in offensive operations via secondary attack capability.

[9] The "Project Falcon Hear" program involved the optimizing of air-ground communications on the AS-211 by upgrading and installing the AN/ARC-34 UHF radios from the F-5A/B.

[38] Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89[43]General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics Standard avionic fits for comms and navigation A privately owned S-211 was used to portray one of the fictional carrier-based "Oscar EW-5894 Phallus" tactical fighter bombers flown by US Navy pilots in the 1991 comedy Hot Shots!.