Multirole battlefield and Naval helicopters: Leonardo is ready with AW149 and AW159
The wide offer of Leonardo’s platforms will be presented by the company at IDEX/NAVDEX 2021, including the AW149 and AW159 helicopters.
The modern, reliable and cost-effective AW149 is a rapidly configurable platform ready to meet a wide range of military missions: Troop transport/troop insertion (carrying up to 16 fully-equipped troops or up to 19 passengers), cargo re-supply/external lift, CASEVAC/MEDEVAC, search and rescue (SAR), Special Forces operations and combat SAR, Command and Control (C2), and close air support. The AW149 is certified by the Italian Directorate of Air Armaments (ARMAEREO).
Leonardo is pitching the AW149, latest-generation medium-lift twin-engine, to customers around the world which are considering replacing their fleets of ageing multi-mission helicopters. With excellent levels of safety, survivability, attractive through-life costs and technologies that will make it an ideal candidate to replace legacy platforms as they go out of service.
The AW149, that features excellent hot & high performance and a max cruise speed (ISA, MTOW, SL) of 287 km/h 155 kt, is designed to carry a host of weapons and stores on external carriers and on the window gun mount.
In the naval application, the twin-engine multi-role AW159 is the most advanced helicopter in its category, able to conduct missions ranging from constabulary to high-end warfighting where it has the capability to autonomously detect, identify and attack targets on land and at sea, including submarine threats. The high-performance platform has state-of-the-art systems, including a Leonardo Seaspray multi-mode electronically-scanning (E-scan) radar, and integrated electronic warfare Defensive Aids Suite (DAS).
On 17th September 2020, Leonardo successfully demonstrated unique integrated capabilities between a manned aircraft and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This took place in the UK during Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUMT) trials between a Leonardo AW159 Wildcat helicopter and a semi-autonomous UAV from Callen-Lenz Associates.
The Leonardo solution allows the Wildcat crew to control both the flight path and payload of the UAV (a capability known as Level of Interoperability (LOI) 4) using an efficient and effective task based Human Machine Interface (HMI), rather than the more operator intensive approaches employed on other systems.
Teaming of manned aircraft with unmanned air systems (Manned Unmanned Teaming MUMT) enhances air support capability in both the Land and Maritime environments.
If you are at IDEX Abu Dhabi, visit Leonardo at stands 06-A03 and 05-C13. For those who are not able to physically join the event, from February 21st visit Leonardo IDEX Experience website and learn more about Leonardo’s exhibited solutions.
