The procurement of 18 Leonardo AW169M multi-purpose helicopters is now lastly on the rails. On December 2nd, Austrian Protection Minister Klaudia Tanner and her Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini signed a corresponding administrative settlement at authorities stage. A mutual declaration of intent, a “Letter of Intent”, on this “government-to-government” deal was signed in November, however the challenge has now been given concrete type with the executive settlement at authorities stage. Now the respective specialists may also implement the procurement course of. The Austrian Ministry of Defence buys 18 new Leonardo AW169M multi-purpose helicopters, the acquisition is made in cooperation with Italy and quantities to 300 million euros.
Leonardo AW169M is a army model of the AW169 twin-engine, 10-seat, 4.8t helicopter developed and manufactured by the helicopter division of Leonardo (previously AgustaWestland, merged into Finmeccanica since 2016). It was designed to share similarities with the bigger AgustaWestland AW139 and AgustaWestland AW189. The platform options class-leading efficiency for a variety of missions in essentially the most demanding circumstances. The AW169M can efficiently carry out all kinds of roles together with Troop Transport, Logistics Help, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Particular Forces Operations, Command and Management, Medical Evacuation and Casualty Evacuation, Search and Rescue and Personnel Restoration. The platform could be customised with a wide range of kit, sensor and weapon methods to supply excellent mission flexibility to army operators.
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The unobstructed cabin inside permits fast configuration modifications to go well with operational necessities. Non-compulsory ballistic safety for cockpit and cabin, self-sealing tanks and defensive aids suite guarantee excessive ranges of survivability and crashworthiness. Superior open structure avionics and methods improve the AW169M’s multi-role capabilities. Its cockpit’s ergonomic design reduces pilot workload whereas maximising exterior visibility, permitting the crew to focus on attaining mission targets. Inner Weapons embrace 12.7 mm machine gun or two pintle-mounted 7.62 mm machine weapons. Exterior Weapons embrace 7.62mm/12.7 mm machine weapons and/or guided and unguided rockets and/or air to floor missiles.
The AW169 is powered by a pair of highly effective Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210A engines, with FADEC, mixed with the superior rotor system present superior ‘scorching and excessive’ efficiency. The engines drives the primary rotor at variable speeds to cut back exterior noise and enhance effectivity. Newly developed dampeners had been put in between the rotor blades of the primary rotor with the intention to scale back vibration ranges for a easy passenger expertise. It has the excellence of being the primary manufacturing helicopter of its class to characteristic electronically-actuated touchdown gear. Weighing roughly 4,500 kg and accommodating 7-10 passengers, it’s positioned between the three,175 kg 8-seat AW109GrandNew and the a lot bigger 6,400 kg 15-seat AW139.
