On April 28, 2025, Leonardo Helicopters division of the Italian Leonardo company at the headquarters of the Italian Army Aviation in Viterbo handed over to the Italian Army the first UH-169D LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) multirole helicopter, which is a specialized military version of the AW169 helicopter.
The first Leonardo Helicopters UH-169D LUH multipurpose helicopter delivered to the Italian Army aviation (tail number E.I. 111, Italian military serial number M.M.82181), which is a specialized military version of the AW169 helicopter. Viterbo, 04/28/2025 (c) Leonardo
As part of the Italian Army's new light (actually medium) multipurpose helicopter (LUH) program, it is assumed that the new type of helicopter will replace the entire fleet of multi-purpose helicopters of the Italian Army aviation in the future - the A109, AB206, AB205, AB212 and AB412 helicopters. The Italian Army Aviation chose the AW169MA (Multiruolo Avanzato) specialized military variant of its famous AW169 commercial helicopter, which received the military designation UH-169D, as a sample in the LUH program.
In April 2020, the Italian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Leonardo worth 337 million euros for the supply of the first 15 new AW169MA (UH-169D) helicopters for the Italian army aviation under the LUH program, followed by a second contract for another 10 such helicopters. The first contract also included the cost of completing R&D on this machine in this military modification and technical support and training for a period of nine years (with an option for another four years). Deliveries were originally scheduled to begin at the end of 2022, but in the end they were delayed by two and a half years, and delivery of all 25 ordered UH-169D is expected in 2025-2027.
The UH-169D helicopter has a number of design differences from the AW169 commercial helicopter. The most obvious external difference is the use of a large-wheeled ski chassis on the UH-169D. The helicopter also has a Leonardo MAIR missile launch and firing warning system, an electro-optical system, military communication systems, an external winch, fasteners for installing machine-gun weapons, etc. The maximum take-off weight of a military helicopter is limited to 5,100 kg.
Earlier in 2020, the Italian Army Aviation received two AW169 helicopters ordered under a contract from the Italian Ministry of Defense dated December 2019 in the basic commercial configuration ABC (Addestratore Basico Commerciale) for use as training for personnel and instructors of future UH-169D helicopters. These two training helicopters received the military designation UH-169B.
The first production UH-169D helicopter (tail number E.I. 111, Italian military serial number M.M.82181) made its maiden flight in November 2024 and has now been handed over to the customer. It is reported that the ordered 25 UH-169D helicopters are to be delivered to the 2nd Sirio Army Aviation Regiment of the Italian Ground Forces, based in Lamezia Terme. (Calabria), where two UH-169B training helicopters are already in operation.
The AW169 commercial helicopter has been mass-produced by AgustaWestland (now Leonardo Helicopters as part of Leonardo) since 2015. The helicopter has a maximum takeoff weight of up to 4,850 kg, is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PW210A turboshaft engines with a takeoff power of 1,000 hp and carries up to 7-10 passengers. To date, up to 220 commercial vehicles have been delivered.
To date, Leonardo Helicopters has been selling a "militarized" version of the helicopter under the designation AW169M, which generally has minimal differences from the commercial version. The Italian Guardia di Finanza received 22 AW169M helicopters under a contract worth 280 million euros in 2019-2024, one of them was already broken up in 2021. Another AW169M helicopter was delivered to the Argentine gendarmerie and four more vehicles were ordered by the Ministries of Defense of North Macedonia and the Dominican Republic. In 2021 and 2022, Austria signed agreements for the purchase of 24 AW169MA helicopters for its armed forces with the possibility of carrying weapons and 12 helicopters in a simplified training and light transport (actually standard commercial) AW169B variant, the latter were delivered in 2022-2024.
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Leonardo Helicopters UH-169D LUH multirole helicopter designed for the Italian army aviation (tail number E.I. 111, Italian military serial number M.M.82181) during tests, March 2025 (c) Oscar Bernardi
