The Austrian Ministry of Defense decided to execute its contractual purchase option for another 18 AW169M LUH helicopters, bringing to 36 the number of units to be purchased from Leonardo, as we anticipated at the end of last year.
Leonardo and the Directorate for Air Armament and Airworthiness of the Italian General Secretariat of Defense/National Armament Directorate signed, on Wednesday 18, the Procurement Contract for the supply of 18 additional AW169M Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to the Austrian Ministry of Defense. The contract, valued at €304 million, was signed following the amendment of the Italy-Austria Government-to-Government (G2G) Agreement signed in December 2022, through which Austria is exercising options for these additional units.
This latest contract will bring the total number of LUH AW169Ms for the Austrian Ministry of Defense to 36. The first aircraft was delivered in December 2022 during an official ceremony and in line with contractual obligations, starting a new era in national defense and emergency response capabilities. In addition, it also represents an important milestone for Leonardo, celebrating the first delivery to the export market of the AW169M variant under a G2G program. The Austrian crews have already been taking advantage of the initial training provided at Leonardo’s Training Academy in Sesto Calende (Italy) and will be supported by the Italian Army’s training capabilities as AW169M LUH operator. All aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2028.
The G2G Italy-Austria initiative aims to strengthen bilateral collaboration between the two countries and establish a strategic partnership in the helicopter sector, with Austria looking to Italy and the AW169M LUH program for its modernization plan and the replacement of its aging Alouette III helicopter, a fleet that have been in service since the 1960s.
Leonardo’s product competed with the Bell 429 and Airbus Helicopters’ H145M, and despite being the more expensive purchase option, it ultimately won out. The Bell 429 was beaten because the U.S. does not use the model, so the training and logistics cooperation that was so appealing about the Italian offer, would have been impossible. And it ended up winning out over the Airbus H145M because the latter would not have been available to Austria before 2025, leaving a 2-year gap in vertical transport capabilities between the exit of the Alouette IIIs and the entry of the new helicopters.
The AW169M LUHs will be able to perform a wide range of missions supporting Austria’s defense and community assistance requirements, such as troop transport, combat operations, disaster relief and emergency response, firefighting, mountain rescue and MEDEVAC.
