The first of 18 AW169M LUH helicopters for the Austrian Ministry of Defence has been delivered to the Tulln-Langenlebarn Brumowski Air Base in Austria.
The delivery of the first aircraft was performed during an official ceremony at the Tulln-Langenlebarn Brumowski Air Base, in the presence of Leonardo’s senior management.
This delivery marks a significant milestone for Austria’s national defense and emergency response capabilities, as the AW169M LUH will replace Austria’s ageing Alouette III fleet and will be used for various missions including troop transport, combat operations, disaster relief, firefighting, mountain rescue, and MEDEVAC.
The order of 18 helicopters is based on the Italy-Austria Government-to-Government (G2G) Agreement announced by both sides at the end of 2021. Austria has also announced an amendment to the G2G agreement to exercise options for an additional 18 helicopters.
This G2G initiative is an important milestone for Leonardo, as it marks the first export delivery of the AW169M variant under a G2G program.
Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo, expressed his pleasure at the delivery of the first AW169M LUH helicopter to Austria and welcomed Austria’s decision to expand the fleet. He said that Leonardo is committed to providing the most technologically advanced and cost-effective solution to meet the requirements set by the collaboration between the two governments and to sustaining the important and growing program.
Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, noted that the development of the program and the delivery of the first aircraft were the result of excellent collaboration among all involved parties. He stated that the outstanding technology, performance, multirole capabilities, and complete services of the AW169M LUH will significantly boost national defense and emergency response in Austria, and that the decision to rely on an even larger fleet in the future further demonstrates the confidence in the platform.
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