These days, the first of a total of 25 AW169MA (UH-169D LUH = Light Utility Helicopter) was officially delivered by manufacturer Leonardo to the AVES training center of the Italian Army Air Corps (L’Aviazione dell’Esercito).
The handover ceremony took place in Viterbo in the hangar of the 28th “Tucano” squadron – in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Army Corps, General Carmine Masiello, the Head of the Directorate of Air Armament and Airworthiness (DAAA) and Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo’s Helicopter Division.
What is the UH-169D?
To avoid any misunderstandings: The designation UH-169D is the Italian service designation for the AW169MA in the “Multiruolo Avanzato” (Advanced Multirole) configuration. It is the variant with skid configuration that is already used by the Austrian Armed Forcesthe Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza.
The UH-169D is part of the comprehensive renewal of the Italian army’s light helicopter fleet and replaces several older models (AB206, AB205, AB212, AB412). This means that Italy will be relying on a standardized platform approach in future, which should make both operations and logistics more efficient.
Structure of the Army Air Forces
The Army Aviation Command unites the units of the Army’s third dimension – with the exception of the two regiments of the “Friuli” Aviation Brigade. It is responsible for the training of observer pilots and for the operational components that are bundled in the Army Aviation Brigade.
In his speech, Chief of Staff Masiello emphasized the importance of this program: “You are seeing the result of a very important and dynamic synergy that will help us to develop other essential programs. Our goal is to provide our soldiers with only the best – for their safety and operational readiness.”
Leonardo Managing Director Cutillo also underlined the significance: “The LUH program marks the beginning of a new era in terms of capabilities, technical support and interoperability. It is the expression of a long-standing partnership and has been adapted to the changing requirements of modern deployment scenarios – with a clear multi-domain approach.”
Why in white?
The white livery of the first aircraft (tactical number 111), which was presented at the handover, was striking. The explanation: these first four helicopters are intended for use in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, specifically for the Italair Task Force. They have been flying there for the United Nations since 1979. The current inventory comes from the 2° Reggimento “Sirio” from Lamezia Terme – a unit that was named as the first user formation for the “169” back in 2020.
Italair’s existing UH-212s have reached their technical limits, which is why they are now being replaced by new aircraft. Their livery is also due to the UN mission – hence white instead of olive green.
Perspective and comparison
With the AW169MA, Italy is relying on a “single platform” approach to completely replace the old AB models in the long term. In Austria, on the other hand, after the phase-out of the Alouette III and OH-58B, a “two-platform” approach is being pursued: In addition to the AW169B/MA, the Black Hawk (UH-60L/M) is also planned.
The first AW169M for Austria was spotted by Italian aviation spotters at the end of March. Although the fitting and approval of the Austrian-specific mission equipment packages for the MA version (including weapon computer and recce system sensors, Tetra, Conrad radio, …) is dragging on and “not pleasing”, the project is currently “on schedule according to contract” according to the Austrian Armed Forces. They are already fully occupied with the 12 B versions, which will soon be complete, and the associated increase in personnel.
The Military Type Certificate (MTC) for the Italian MA version was issued on January 29, 2025. Delivery of the first aircraft to Italy was therefore expected in the second quarter of 2025. For the Austrian configuration, the first delivery is expected in the 4th quarter of 2025 or at the turn of the year 2025/26.
The Austrian serial number of the first AW169MA will be 74009 – for classification purposes:
- civil AW169: serial numbers with 69xxx
- military AW169M (or AW169B): with 72xxx
- AW169MA: with 74xxx
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