The AW609 tiltrotor program set another major industry capability milestone after its first successful ship trial, which was recently conducted with the support of the Italian Navy. From 3-12 April, the AW609 AC4 aircraft, fully representative of the final production configuration, performed demonstration trials relocating from Leonardo’s facility based in Cascina Costa (Samarate) to Maristaer Grottaglie Naval Base. The tiltrotor, with test pilots and flight test engineers from Leonardo (supported by Italian Navy personnel for the embarked operations), took off from the base inbound from the Italian aircraft carrier (ITS CAVOUR - Navy Fleet Flagship), 20 nm offshore, showing its effective approach, stable deck landing, and touchdown capabilities. 

During the demonstration, the AW609 provided a unique opportunity to further strengthen the awareness of the outstanding advantages of Leonardo’s tiltrotor in a dedicated maritime environment. This testifies how the world’s first tiltrotor set to achieve a civil certification meets demanding operational and safety standards. Therefore, it is ideally positioned to meet a range of government and public service needs, in Italy and globally.