The contract concerns 17 helicopters, the deliveries of which are to start in 2027. Previously, the manufacturer, Leonardo Helicopters, produced 4 specified machines: 1 prototype and 3 pre-production series copies that have first operational readiness. These payers will not be purchased by Esercito Italiano, but will service in Leonardo as investigation platforms. **Italy plans to retrieve 48 copies of AW249,** to replace all the older AW129 Mongoose. Compared to its predecessor AW249, it is simply a larger machine, with more scope and burden capacity, as well as equipped with much more modern solutions in the field of weapons, sensors, communications and self-defense systems.
