AW249. Photos and video: Twitter @LDO_Helicopters
The AW249 Next Generation Exploration and Escort Helicopter had its international public debut during an official ceremony at the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition, attended by industry representatives, Italian Defense, and international delegations.
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Two prototypes are flying and two are in final assembly: the AW249 was created for multi-domain scenarios and future operational contexts, responding to the growing need for collaboration between platforms.
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The AW249 helicopter, designed for high-complexity operations, emerged from this context. Named FENICE by the Italian Army, it stands out for its “agile” development process, allowing for constant updates in various production stages.
Its development results from the synergy and constant dialogue between the Italian Ministry of Defense and Leonardo, leading to technical solutions based on real operational needs, such as hybrid and unconventional threats.
A decisive factor in this regard was the cooperation between the pilots of the AW129 of the Italian Army Aviation (AVES) and the test pilots of Leonardo.
The AW249 was designed to operate in complex and congested scenarios, in increasingly interconnected information and communication environments characterized by high-threat profiles (kinetic, cyber, and cognitive). These are the so-called peer or near-peer scenarios, where the threat has comparable levels of organization and capabilities. They involve strategically important geographic areas that are difficult to access, known as A2/AD (Anti Access/Area Denial) bubbles.
Requirements of this type ensure the use of FENICE based on the logic and concept of multi-domain operations.
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Therefore, the helicopter was designed to offer a range of ‘native’ capabilities already present in the aircraft to be delivered to the Italian Army in 2027.
Source: leonardo. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Photos and video: Twitter @LDO_Helicopters
