Leonardo Helicopters Focuses on Military Usage
Although many people think of civilian/para-public rotorcraft when they think of Leonardo Helicopters, this company actually offers “the largest portfolio of both military and dual-use helicopters,” said Stefano Villanti, Leonardo Helicopters’ senior VP of international campaigns.
Leonardo’s military suite includes the AW101, AW149, AW159, and NH90, all of which are “designed according to military specs right from the drawing board,” Villanti said. Meanwhile, the company’s dual-use civilian/military helicopters – including the AW109M, AW119, AW139M, and AW169M – can fulfill 80-90 percent of a dedicated military helicopter’s missions “at a fraction of the cost” of such specialized platforms. Leonardo’s AW609 tilt-rotor aircraft also fits the dual-use mode, serving variously as an executive transport, EMS ambulance, or military SAR/utility platform.
Currently, Leonardo military and dual-use helicopters are being deployed in both land- and water-based environments. “They are primarily replacing a range of aging types worldwide in the 4 to 10/12 categories, plus some single-engine types,” said Villanti. “Operators of older variants of the Lynx can leverage the latest enhancements introduced in this class of maritime multi-role aircraft by transitioning to the AW159,” as South Korea and the UK are doing. “More recently, we have started working with the Italian MoD on the AW249 combat helicopter, having in sight the replacement of the AW129 of the Italian Army,”
Villanti says. “With a MTOW in the range of 7-8 tons and useful load in excess of 1,800 kgs, the AW249 will have speed and endurance able to sustain the most difficult close air support and armed escort operations.”
Villanti says the AW249 will feature state-of-the-art communication and battlefield management systems, a mission system able to operate and manage UAVs, and a number of situational awareness aids to reduce pilot workload and increase safety. It will also have a gun turret and a flexible weapon system using six wing store stations. The AW249 will be able to carry a combination of air-to-ground/air-to-air missiles, unguided/guided rockets, and/ or external fuel tanks.
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Sept/Oct 2018
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