Italy Enters a New Phase with Delivery of its First UH-169D Helicopter for UNIFIL mission in Lebanon
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On April 28, 2025, Italy officially took delivery of the first UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) for the Aviazione dell’Esercito (AVES), the Italian Army Aviation. The handover ceremony took place at the Army Aviation Headquarters in Viterbo in the presence of Army Chief of Staff General Carmine Masiello, officials from the General Secretariat of Defence – Directorate of Air Armaments (DAAA), and senior representatives from Leonardo Helicopters.
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The UH-169D is a light multirole helicopter based on Leonardo’s military AW169M platform (Picture source: Leonardo)
This delivery marks the beginning of a procurement program scheduled to run until 2027, involving 25 helicopters along with support, technical training, and maintenance services. The initiative is designed to progressively replace aging platforms currently in service, including the AB-206, AB-205, AB-212, AB-412, and A109, with a single, standardized platform offering improved operational capabilities.
The first aircraft delivered, registered MM 82181, was assigned to the 28th “TUCANO” Squadron Group and features a white livery typical of United Nations operations. This visual identification anticipates its upcoming deployment to Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping mission established in 1978 to monitor Israeli withdrawal from the country’s south, support the Lebanese Armed Forces, and contribute to regional stabilization. In this context, the UH-169D will replace the AB-212 helicopters, with the goal of enhancing tactical transport, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), reconnaissance, and logistics support in high-risk or humanitarian environments.
The UH-169D is a light multirole helicopter based on Leonardo’s military AW169M platform. Designed to meet contemporary operational requirements, it features a digital cockpit compatible with night vision goggles (NVG), an advanced mission management system, and can integrate various tactical systems depending on mission profiles, including encrypted radios, IFF transponders, data links, and C4ISR connectivity. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW210A engines, the aircraft can reach a cruising speed of approximately 260 km/h and has a range of over 800 km with auxiliary fuel tanks. Its modular cabin accommodates up to ten equipped soldiers or several stretchers in MEDEVAC configuration, enabling operational flexibility across diverse mission sets.
From a protection standpoint, the UH-169D can be equipped with radar warning receivers (RWR), missile approach warning systems (MAWS), laser warning sensors, and infrared countermeasure dispensers. It can also be fitted with modular armor kits to increase crew protection. Integrated systems such as a weather radar, inertial navigation, and military-grade GNSS, and a four-axis autopilot allow the aircraft to operate effectively in contested or complex environments. The UH-169D is compatible with embarked operations and can be deployed for special forces support, armed reconnaissance, tactical transport, or urgent personnel extraction.
Developed through close collaboration between the Italian Army, the DAAA, and Leonardo, the LUH is based on a national program that follows a multi-agency standardization approach. The aircraft shares a common architecture with other AW169 helicopters already operated by Italian government agencies such as the Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza. This commonality streamlines training, logistics, and certification procedures, improving interoperability across national operators and increasing the country’s ability to respond rapidly during emergencies both domestically and abroad.
Before this operational delivery, two UH-169B training helicopters had been handed over in 2020 to facilitate crew transition and readiness for the multirole variant. The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment “Sirio” played a central role in testing and crew instruction, accumulating over 1,000 flight hours by 2021. These flight campaigns allowed the Italian Army to adapt the platform to its specific operational needs, validate performance parameters, and assess integration within joint and allied environments.
During the April 28 ceremony in Viterbo, Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, stated that the LUH represents “the beginning of a new era in terms of capability, technical support, mission flexibility, and interoperability in the light helicopter segment.” He highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the company and the Italian armed forces and the importance of aligning with changing operational requirements. Cutillo also emphasized LUH’s growing role in international export initiatives and its potential for multi-domain operations.
General Masiello, Chief of the Army Staff, underlined the strategic importance of the program, describing it as “the result of a dynamic and essential synergy, which will support the development of additional critical programs required to meet national expectations and the increasingly complex international environment.”
Beyond its technical and operational features, the LUH program is expected to streamline the life-cycle management of the Italian Army’s light helicopter fleet. The adoption of a unified platform supports better maintenance planning, reduced sustainment costs, optimized spare parts management, and simplified crew training. This structural rationalization contributes to a more efficient long-term defense posture while strengthening rapid response capabilities and internal security in a fast-evolving strategic context.
The delivery of the first UH-169D to the Italian Army reflects the implementation of a strategic modernization effort focused on rotary-wing capability. It represents a coherent technological and industrial choice aligned with national defense needs and international commitments. With its upcoming deployment to Lebanon under UNIFIL, the UH-169D exemplifies Italy’s adaptation to modern security requirements through interoperable and modular systems designed to support peacekeeping and joint operations.
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On April 28, 2025, Italy officially took delivery of the first UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) for the Aviazione dell’Esercito (AVES), the Italian Army Aviation. The handover ceremony took place at the Army Aviation Headquarters in Viterbo in the presence of Army Chief of Staff General Carmine Masiello, officials from the General Secretariat of Defence – Directorate of Air Armaments (DAAA), and senior representatives from Leonardo Helicopters.
The UH-169D is a light multirole helicopter based on Leonardo’s military AW169M platform (Picture source: Leonardo)
This delivery marks the beginning of a procurement program scheduled to run until 2027, involving 25 helicopters along with support, technical training, and maintenance services. The initiative is designed to progressively replace aging platforms currently in service, including the AB-206, AB-205, AB-212, AB-412, and A109, with a single, standardized platform offering improved operational capabilities.
The first aircraft delivered, registered MM 82181, was assigned to the 28th “TUCANO” Squadron Group and features a white livery typical of United Nations operations. This visual identification anticipates its upcoming deployment to Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping mission established in 1978 to monitor Israeli withdrawal from the country’s south, support the Lebanese Armed Forces, and contribute to regional stabilization. In this context, the UH-169D will replace the AB-212 helicopters, with the goal of enhancing tactical transport, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), reconnaissance, and logistics support in high-risk or humanitarian environments.
The UH-169D is a light multirole helicopter based on Leonardo’s military AW169M platform. Designed to meet contemporary operational requirements, it features a digital cockpit compatible with night vision goggles (NVG), an advanced mission management system, and can integrate various tactical systems depending on mission profiles, including encrypted radios, IFF transponders, data links, and C4ISR connectivity. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW210A engines, the aircraft can reach a cruising speed of approximately 260 km/h and has a range of over 800 km with auxiliary fuel tanks. Its modular cabin accommodates up to ten equipped soldiers or several stretchers in MEDEVAC configuration, enabling operational flexibility across diverse mission sets.
From a protection standpoint, the UH-169D can be equipped with radar warning receivers (RWR), missile approach warning systems (MAWS), laser warning sensors, and infrared countermeasure dispensers. It can also be fitted with modular armor kits to increase crew protection. Integrated systems such as a weather radar, inertial navigation, and military-grade GNSS, and a four-axis autopilot allow the aircraft to operate effectively in contested or complex environments. The UH-169D is compatible with embarked operations and can be deployed for special forces support, armed reconnaissance, tactical transport, or urgent personnel extraction.
Developed through close collaboration between the Italian Army, the DAAA, and Leonardo, the LUH is based on a national program that follows a multi-agency standardization approach. The aircraft shares a common architecture with other AW169 helicopters already operated by Italian government agencies such as the Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza. This commonality streamlines training, logistics, and certification procedures, improving interoperability across national operators and increasing the country’s ability to respond rapidly during emergencies both domestically and abroad.
Before this operational delivery, two UH-169B training helicopters had been handed over in 2020 to facilitate crew transition and readiness for the multirole variant. The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment “Sirio” played a central role in testing and crew instruction, accumulating over 1,000 flight hours by 2021. These flight campaigns allowed the Italian Army to adapt the platform to its specific operational needs, validate performance parameters, and assess integration within joint and allied environments.
During the April 28 ceremony in Viterbo, Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, stated that the LUH represents “the beginning of a new era in terms of capability, technical support, mission flexibility, and interoperability in the light helicopter segment.” He highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the company and the Italian armed forces and the importance of aligning with changing operational requirements. Cutillo also emphasized LUH’s growing role in international export initiatives and its potential for multi-domain operations.
General Masiello, Chief of the Army Staff, underlined the strategic importance of the program, describing it as “the result of a dynamic and essential synergy, which will support the development of additional critical programs required to meet national expectations and the increasingly complex international environment.”
Beyond its technical and operational features, the LUH program is expected to streamline the life-cycle management of the Italian Army’s light helicopter fleet. The adoption of a unified platform supports better maintenance planning, reduced sustainment costs, optimized spare parts management, and simplified crew training. This structural rationalization contributes to a more efficient long-term defense posture while strengthening rapid response capabilities and internal security in a fast-evolving strategic context.
The delivery of the first UH-169D to the Italian Army reflects the implementation of a strategic modernization effort focused on rotary-wing capability. It represents a coherent technological and industrial choice aligned with national defense needs and international commitments. With its upcoming deployment to Lebanon under UNIFIL, the UH-169D exemplifies Italy’s adaptation to modern security requirements through interoperable and modular systems designed to support peacekeeping and joint operations.
