On June 25, 2021, Italian Minister of Defence Lorenzo Guerini and Italian Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Alberto Rosso attended the acceptance ceremony of an Italian Air Force HH139B helicopter during an official visit to Leonardo’s helicopter facility in Vergiate (Italy). Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo General Manager Lucio Valerio Cioffi, and Leonardo Helicopters’ MD Gian Piero Cutillo were also in attendance. During the visit to the facility, the Authorities were shown the Company’s industrial capabilities, products, and advanced technologies, which fully represent Leonardo’s leadership in the vertical flight domain and preserve in-country strategic technological capabilities.

The HH-139B is a dedicated Air Force variant of the AW139 type. The aircraft will be used for a wide range of missions, including Search and Rescue (SAR), fire-fighting, Slow Mover Interceptor.

Over 1,200 AW139s have been sold to more than 280 customers in over 70 countries, including more than 80 for Italian government operators (Air Force, Guardia di Finanza, State Police, Coast Guard, National Firefighting Department, and Carabinieri), plus emergency medical service operators. This helicopter model benefits from advanced digital technology solutions for both flight and missions as well as training (pilots and maintenance technicians) and support. The helicopter’s state-of-the-art satellite navigation and synthetic vision system have 3D representations of the external environment on cockpit displays even in poor visibility conditions. The helicopter can assist the crew during SAR and hoisting in harsh environmental and weather conditions with advanced collision avoidance and proximity systems, mission sensors, and an automatic flight control system. The AW139 also features modern predictive maintenance and diagnostics solutions allowing accurate, rapid assessment and data processing on the health and usage of aircraft components. This allows more efficient maintenance activities increasing operational effectiveness and safety. Both flight and maintenance training are extensively delivered in virtual environments and simulation. Crews can therefore maximize their ability to use equipment and leverage the best performance of the product during missions. Maintenance technicians can leverage virtual training, which increases technical assistance quality and reliability.