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The Airframer Bulletin

Leonardo Helicopters
All news ✕ Clear ‹ Current edition

Every Bulletin story and press release covering Leonardo Helicopters, newest first.

207 items · page 1 of 5

2026
6 August The Arriel 2K completed ground testing at Safran's Bordes site in southwest France.

Safran's Arriel 2K wins EASA certification for AW09

The engine powering Leonardo's AW09 has completed EASA certification after more than 4,100 hours of testing, including over 600 hours in flight.

20 April

ReleaseAirbus and partners sign NH90 Block 2 architecture study contract

5 March Development involved feedback from more than 1,000 hoist operators maintenance crews and mission specialists.

Leonardo selects clean-sheet Pegasus hoist for AW139

The Pegasus rescue hoist joins Leonardos AW139 offering with ETSO certification and aims to improve hoist mission performance reliability.

2 March

ReleaseLeonardo: UK MoD announces £1 billion contract award for 23 new medium helicopters

2 March

ReleaseBillion-pound helicopter deal secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit and unlocks up to £15 billion in UK exports

5 February The MH-139A is designed for patrol, transport and search and rescue operations.

USAF expands Boeing’s Grey Wolf order to 38

An additional contract for four helicopters and sustainment followed closely behind an earlier eight-aircraft deal worth $173 million.

3 February

ReleaseAdani Defence & Aerospace and Leonardo forge strategic partnership to build India's helicopter ecosystem

2025
19 December

ReleaseEU Clean Sky 2's Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor Technology Demonstrator (NGCTR-TD) performs first flight marking major project milestone

29 October

ReleaseSabelt and Leonardo present the helicopter seat with an integrated seatbelt, one of the lightest in the world

8 October

ReleaseBoeing awarded contract for eight additional MH-139A helicopters

18 June

ReleaseAirbus and Leonardo to launch NH90 Block 2 studies responding to a request from NAHEMA

17 June

ReleaseHoneywell and Near Earth Autonomy complete first autonomous flight of Leonardo AW139 helicopter

2024
28 October

ReleaseHoneywell partners with Near Earth Autonomy and Leonardo to enable autonomous flight

20 September

ReleaseThe new AW249 in the air for the first operational exercise

7 August In 2024, the U.S. Air Force awarded an additional seven MH-139As to Boeing. With six Research, Development, Test and Evaluation aircraft already delivered, Boeing currently has 26 aircraft on contract.

Boeing delivers first MH-139A production aircraft to USAF

Leonardo produces the baseline helicopter at its plant in northeast Philadelphia, while Boeing is responsible for military equipment procurement and installation and post-delivery support of the aircraft.

24 July

ReleaseLeonardo: unified union agreement signed on production slowdown and relaunch of the Grottaglie site

26 June

ReleaseAW609 tiltrotor successfully completes first ship trial campaign

24 June

ReleaseLeonardo meets Italian trade unions and announces the consolidation of the process of diversifying its Grottaglie production site

20 June An official ceremony was attended by representatives from industry, Italian Defence and international delegations.

Leonardo reveals AW249 helicopter’s next gen design

Four prototypes have been built since first flight in summer 2022, with two flying aircraft involved in performance, system integration and payload testing and two more now completed and to start testing soon.

18 June

ReleaseFrench Army’s NH90 for Special Forces has started flight testing

4 June

ReleaseLeonardo celebrates the opening of PZL-Świdnik’s production line for the AW149 helicopters of the Polish Armed Forces

27 February

ReleaseThe Leonardo AW09 final prototype takes flight!

2023
22 November Boeing delivered the final Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter to the U.S. Air Force. Boeing will now begin delivering the first production aircraft in 2024.

Boeing shifts towards production of MH-139A Grey Wolf

Delivering all of the RDT&E aircraft to the Air Force enables them to continue critical operational testing and allows Boeing to focus on building the first production aircraft.

30 October

ReleaseLeonardo: AW169's skidded capabilities to grow further with 5,100 kg Increased Gross Weight and 11-seater configuration

19 July Leonardo's civil tiltrotor project needs innovative wings.

FORMOSA delivers on fuel economy and performance

The consortium has devised a special wing that includes more effective moving surfaces controlled by a new actuation system, which will be flight-tested as part of Clean Sky 2.

17 March

ReleaseLeonardo AW09 PS4 prototype performs first flight

15 March

Triumph develops rotor control cables for AW09

The contract includes the manufacturing of the Kopter AW09 main and tail rotor control cables utilising Triumph's flexball cables, designed to provide a low-maintenance solution..

15 March Production is under way with a handshake.

US Air Force gives go-ahead for MH-139A production

The initiation of low-rate production will yield the first operational aircraft set to replace the U.S. Air Force's current fleet of UH-1N “Huey” helicopters, with first delivery slated for 2024.

2 February

Leonardo's AW09 is set to fly with Safran's Arriel 2K

The new propulsion system is already installed on the latest AW09 prototype, PS4 (Pre Series 4), which is about to start flight test activities at Kopter’s facility in Mollis.

2022
7 November

ReleaseGE delivers 250th CT7-2E1 engine

20 October

First production AW609 tiltrotor takes flight

Designated AC5, the aircraft took to the air at Leonardo's Philadelphia-based site on 13th October performing as expected the initial in-flight evaluation of systems and general handling.

25 August

ReleaseLeonardo and Boeing deliver first four MH-139A helicopters to U.S. Air Force

3 January

ReleaseQatar's NH90 helicopter programme marks major milestone with first delivery

2021
8 December

ReleaseAW09 prototype close to final shape

15 September

ReleaseLeonardo and Northrop Grumman join forces on future rotorcraft UAS opportunities

21 April

ReleaseLeonardo welcomes Kopter's SH09 into its helicopter portfolio as the AW09

28 January Leonardo has lined up behind a consortium aiming to design, develop and manufacture an ultra-low mass, robust, proof-of-concept carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheel for rotary wing aircraft.

Leonardo backs consortium building CFRP helicopter wheel

A wheel made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic will offer enhanced mechanical properties at about half the density of metal wheels. It will be made with tailored fibre placement, braiding and out of autoclave processes.

2020
20 October

ReleaseLeonardo demonstrates helicopter-UAV teaming in the UK with its AW159 Wildcat

23 June

ReleaseKopter SH09 helicopter test flights go ahead in Sicily

8 April

ReleaseLeonardo acquisition of Kopter is completed

3 April

ReleaseTH-119 certification team wins Harry T. Jensen Award

28 January

ReleaseLeonardo to acquire Kopter with the aim of extending its helicopter market leadership

2019
27 December

ReleaseAW609 tiltrotor in final production configuration flies in Philadelphia

29 April

ReleaseAW609 program enters new phase with first production aircraft starting final assembly in Philadelphia

17 March

ReleaseLeonardo: working to bring the AW609 Tiltrotor to the Japanese

15 February

ReleaseLeonardo opens a new facility in Pisa and unveils its enhanced AWHERO Rotary Unmanned Air System for surveillance and disaster relief missions

2018
21 December

ReleaseLeonardo: TH-119 helicopter performs first flight

14 September

ReleaseLeonardo performs TH-119 avionics power on at Philadelphia facility

25 July

ReleaseLeonardo launches LEAP2020 programme to optimise its supply chain

11 July

ReleaseLeonardo and PGZ sign letter of intent on the AW249 combat helicopter