AW149

The AW149 was conceived as a new, purpose-built military helicopter design. Formally launched in 2006 by AgustaWestland, now Leonardo, it was intended to offer increased cargo volume and payload capacity compared to the AW139 through a larger fuselage and more powerful engines. The first prototype achieved its initial flight on November 13, 2009, at AgustaWestland's Vergiate facility in northern Italy. A second prototype, equipped with production-standard engines, followed with its first flight on February 26, 2011, also from Vergiate. By 2014 the design had achieved military certification.

Design

Conceived as a military design, the AW149 is distinguished by a larger fuselage and more powerful engines compared to the AW139, thereby increasing its cargo volume and payload capacity. Military certification includes the ability of its landing gear to sustain a touchdown with a sink speed of 9.5 m/s, significantly higher than the 2 m/s for a civilian helicopter. Its open architecture allows for adaptable avionics configurations. The helicopter is equipped with four hardpoints.

Armament

The AW149 features four hardpoints that can accommodate various weapon configurations. These include missile launching pods, each capable of carrying four AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles, and rocket launching pods, such as the FZ231 pod carrying 12 x 70 mm rockets. The hardpoints can also be configured to carry external fuel tanks, extending the helicopter's operational range.

Operational History

The AW149 has seen operational use with the Egyptian Navy, which ordered 24 in 2019 with deliveries beginning in late 2020, and with the Royal Thai Army and Royal Thai Police. The helicopter is being marketed as an alternative to the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk family, and was a contender in the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program, though it was ultimately not selected. It is also proposed for the UK's New Medium Helicopter programme. Poland has ordered 32 AW149 helicopters, with deliveries planned from 2023 to 2029 and local production starting in 2024. North Macedonia has also placed an order for the AW149. Leonardo has offered the AW149 to Malaysia.

Variants

Main Variants:

• AW149: The baseline multi-role military helicopter, designed for troop transport, combat operations, and search and rescue missions.

• TUHP149: A version of the AW149 submitted for the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program, featuring specific modifications to meet Turkish Armed Forces requirements.

• AW189: A civilian development of the AW149, adapted for commercial operations, with service beginning in 2013.