Italian company showcases new ‘Fenice’ platform in German capital.
Leonardo Helicopters’ AW249 attack helicopter has made its flying display debut at an ILA Berlin air show, while deliveries to the Italian army are due to start within two years.
The rotorcraft being put through its paces during the 10-14 June event is Leonardo’s fourth prototype of the ‘Fenice’ – a type being acquired as a replacement for Rome’s current AW129 Mangusta fleet.
Speaking at the show on 11 June, Leonardo chief executive Lorenzo Mariani described the AW249 programme as “an ambitious development that today is bringing to the market an exceptional machine.
“Germany is an important country for Italy in economical, political and industrial terms, and we are convinced that showcasing this machine here can be a strong push for that also in the future,” he adds.
Leonardo is eyeing a potential long-term opportunity in the nation to sell a dedicated attack rotorcraft, following the pending retirement of the German army’s current Airbus Helicopters Tigers.
“Our aim is for the AW249 to be established as the new European combat helicopter,” says Leonardo Helicopters managing director Gian Pierro Cutillo. It should be “a modern platform of choice for partners and allies”.
The 8.3t aircraft “fully represents our unique commitment to innovation and excellence”, he adds. “It is the only Western clean-sheet combat helicopter currently under development.
“Military operations are becoming increasingly complex, interconnected and multi-domain… Requirements are changing as well,” Cutillo notes. “The [attack] helicopter needs to evolve far beyond its traditional role, to become a critical command and control node within the battle space, capable of collecting, processing and distributing information in real-time.”
The Fenice can be viewed as its own “digital ecosystem”, he suggests, and is set to become a “force-multiplier in a multi-domain operation”.
Officials say first deliveries of the type will be made “at the beginning of 2028” in an initial operating readiness standard; earlier this year that milestone was described as due to occur before the end of 2027.
Series production has already begun in support of an initial 19-aircraft order from Rome. Cutillo says the parties are negotiating a follow-on contract for another 14 examples, from Italy’s eventual total of 48.
Noting that Italian army pilots are “very happy” with the AW249’s performance, deputy chief of staff Lieutenant General Salvatore Cuoci says: “For us, it’s our [Lockheed Martin] F-35, with full connectivity with troops on the ground, other aircraft and with all the other systems that we have in our armed forces.
“It is the most-powerful attack helicopter that we have in the world; it is completely brand new,” he adds.
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