Italy has launched the parliamentary course of to approve the acquisition of a brand new batch of AW249s, which is able to full the fleet of 48 assault helicopters.
Italian Parliament’s paperwork present that Italy has launched the approval course of for the acquisition of one other batch of the brand new AW249 Fenice assault helicopter for the Italian Military. This batch will embrace 29 helicopters which is able to full the deliberate fleet of 48 AW249s.
AW249 Program’s Third Section
The acquisition is a part of this system’s third section, which incorporates the completion of the Full Operational Functionality (FOC) configuration’s growth, the acquisition of 29 FOC-configured helicopters and the improve of the 19 helicopters already on contract. Moreover, this section additionally contains certification and industrialization of the helicopter, logistic help for ten years and the acquisition of the coaching system.
The third section is deliberate for launch in 2026, and “presumably” accomplished in 2032, says the doc delivered to the Italian Parliament for the approval. This section will likely be value €1,221.5 million, out of a complete of 4,647.7 million deliberate for this system since its launch in 2016.
The doc additionally particulars the funding, mentioning that the primary section was approved in 2016 with €487.06 million and the second section was approved in 2020 with €2,282.94 million. An extra €656.02 million will likely be funded in future for the completion of this system.
Three pre-series helicopters had been contracted in 2017, and are anticipated to be delivered within the Preliminary Operational Functionality (IOC) configuration. In 2021, 4 extra FOC helicopters had been added to the order, adopted by 12 helicopters (together with two on choice) in 2024, therefore the present complete of 19 helicopters.
Testing in Progress
As testing continues, final yr a pre-production AW249 took half within the Italian Military’s operational train “Stella Alpina 2024” at Lake Fedaia, close to Trento within the North-East of Italy. The helicopter was built-in into the operation’s belongings inside the multi-domain tactical bubble.
The 2-week train noticed 600 personnel from specialised models of the Italian Military practice on countering new threats in a multi-domain situation, integrating revolutionary applied sciences. In actual fact, among the many targets set by the service there was the deployment of programs, gear and autos just lately fielded or presently being acquired, such because the AW249.
Throughout summer season 2024, the primary two helicopters carried out medium-altitude and hot-weather trials, each carried out in Calabria in southern Italy. A primary spherical of hot-weather testing was additionally carried out in Spain through the summer season of 2023, whereas in 2025 the helicopter will endure high-altitude testing.
The AW249 was already a part of firing campaigns, with the 20mm Oto Melara TM197B chin gun and 70mm unguided rockets examined in March 2024. Throughout 2025, the helicopter is predicted to check the Rafael Spike and Spike ER air-to-surface missiles, and an undisclosed air-to-air missile, which could possibly be the AIM-92 Stinger, or ATAS (Air To Air Stinger), talked about within the paperwork.
The paperwork additionally point out a number of the actions and programs included within the testing, reminiscent of Cyber Safety, Flight Administration System, Function Tools, Battlefield Administration System, Impediment Warning System, Loitering Munitions, Anti-UAS, Stinger, Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) Datalink, GPS with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM).
The AW249
The AW249, designated AH-249A NEES (Nuovo Elicottero da Esplorazione e Scorta – New Exploration and Escort Helicopter) and nicknamed “Fenice” (Italian for “Phoenix”), is the one new Western fight helicopter designed from scratch in recent times. The helicopter is being developed to exchange the A-129 Mangusta which has been in service with the Italian Military for the reason that Nineteen Nineties and upgraded all through the years till the present AH-129D variant, deliberate to be retire the AH-129 from 2025.
The AW249 helicopter, whose first flight came about on August 12, 2022, incorporates superior applied sciences that improve digitization, connectivity, sensor fusion, info superiority, and interoperability. Such options make it a power multiplier in multi-domain operations, seamlessly integrating into air, land, sea, area, and cyber domains.
Many mistakenly consider the AW249 is an AH-64 Apache look-alike, however past their tandem cockpit setup, the similarities are minimal. The AW249 represents a definite evolution from its predecessor, the AW129, which traces its roots again to the A129 developed within the late Seventies and first flown in 1983.
In actual fact, the unique A129 was born as an evolution of the idea launched by the AH-1 Cobra, the primary to make use of a tandem cockpit configuration. Opposite to the Cobra, the Mangusta was primarily based on a twin-engine configuration with a four-blade important rotor. The helicopter was supposed as a pure anti-tank platform and armed solely with TOW anti-tank missiles and unguided rockets. Solely within the 2000s, with the A129CBT improve, the helicopter was outfitted with a M197 20 mm gun.
Whereas the AW249 builds upon classes discovered from the AW129, it incorporates a new airframe, transmission, engines, and avionics. Whereas stealth was not a requirement, the AW249 incorporates sure options to boost its LO (Low Observability) traits, reminiscent of decreasing radar cross-section and infrared signature, with a view to make its detection tougher.
The AW249 incorporates a full open structure with important margins for future development. The core of its skills, along with excessive efficiency, is the power to be totally built-in and interoperable within the fashionable multi-domain battlefield. The AW249 options a complicated giant space show human-machine-interface and contact display/gesture recognition gadgets, along with helmet-mounted gadgets and a Battle Administration System particularly developed by Leonardo.
