Leonardo’s rotorcraft heritage joins the Italian Agusta tradition with more than a century of British helicopter engineering at Westland. Today the company develops civil, parapublic and military aircraft ranging from the single-engine AW09 and light-twin AW109 family to the AW139, AW169, AW189, AW101, AW159, AW249 and AW609 tiltrotor.
Leonardo Helicopters is the modern home of two major European aviation traditions. In Italy, the Agusta family developed an aircraft business around Cascina Costa near Milan. In Britain, Westland grew from wartime aircraft manufacture at Yeovil into one of the country’s principal helicopter companies. Their merger created AgustaWestland, which later became Leonardo’s Helicopters division.
Count Giovanni Agusta established Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The early company built, repaired and supported fixed-wing aircraft. Following the Second World War, Agusta’s successors recognised that rotary-wing aviation offered an important new industrial opportunity.
Agusta accelerated its entry into helicopter production through licences from established American manufacturers. Bell 47, Bell 204 and 205, Sikorsky S-61 and other types were assembled or manufactured in Italy. These programmes transferred practical knowledge of rotor systems, transmissions, flight controls and serial production.
Licensed manufacture was not an end in itself. It gave Agusta the engineering base from which to develop indigenous aircraft, while establishing maintenance and customer-support relationships with military and civil operators.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Agusta tested a sequence of original helicopter concepts carrying A-series designations. These included the A101 heavy transport prototype, A102, A103, A104 Helicar, A105, A106 naval prototype and other experimental designs.
Most were built only in very small numbers, but collectively they allowed Agusta to develop independent expertise. The lessons eventually converged in a commercially viable light twin-engine helicopter.
The A109 first flew in 1971. It was a sleek, retractable-undercarriage twin designed for speed, executive transport and multirole use. The aircraft gave Agusta a distinct product rather than a licensed derivative.
Successive A109 versions served corporate transport, emergency medical services, police, military liaison, training and light utility missions. The family evolved through the A109A, A109C, Power, Grand, GrandNew and Trekker branches.
The AW109 Trekker combines the established light-twin family with skid landing gear for utility operators. The GrandNew branch emphasises passenger comfort, instrument-flight capability and executive or medical interiors.
The A129 Mangusta first flew in 1983 and became the first attack helicopter designed and produced entirely in Western Europe. It was developed for the Italian Army with a narrow tandem cockpit, weapons carried on stub wings and systems optimised for anti-armour and reconnaissance missions.
Italian aircraft were progressively upgraded, while the broader design contributed to the Turkish T129 ATAK programme. Leonardo’s new AW249 carries the combat-helicopter lineage into a heavier and more digitally integrated generation.
The A119 was developed as a single-engine utility aircraft using technology and cabin experience from the A109 family. It offered lower operating cost while retaining a comparatively spacious cabin.
The current AW119Kx serves training, law enforcement, emergency medical, utility and military applications. The United States Navy selected a military-training derivative, designated TH-73A Thrasher.
Westland Aircraft Works began producing aircraft at Yeovil in 1915. The company built fixed-wing aircraft through both world wars and increasingly specialised in helicopters after 1945.
As in Italy, licences played an important role. Westland manufactured and developed British versions of Sikorsky designs, including the Dragonfly, Whirlwind, Wessex, Sea King and Commando. These aircraft became central to British naval, rescue and military operations.
Westland also developed indigenous rotorcraft and participated in multinational programmes. Its Lynx family became one of Europe’s most successful military helicopters, while the EH101 programme created a new heavy three-engine platform.
The Westland Lynx first flew in 1971. Designed for naval and battlefield missions, it combined compact dimensions, agility and strong performance. A specially modified Lynx set an official helicopter world speed record in 1986.
Naval Lynx and Super Lynx versions served in anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, surveillance and utility roles. The modern AW159 Wildcat retains the basic operational concept but uses a substantially redesigned airframe, avionics and mission system.
The EH101 originated as a British-Italian programme to replace ageing naval helicopters. Westland and Agusta formed a joint company to develop a large three-engine aircraft capable of maritime and land missions.
The helicopter first flew in 1987. Military versions entered service as Merlin in the United Kingdom and as AW101 with other operators. Roles include anti-submarine warfare, troop transport, search and rescue, airborne surveillance, special operations and head-of-government transport.
The three-engine arrangement provides power, redundancy and long-range capability. The AW101 remains one of the most capable heavy helicopters outside the very largest transport category.
Agusta and Westland were brought together at the beginning of the twenty-first century, with AgustaWestland formed in 2000 and operating from 2001. The merger joined Italian commercial-helicopter development with British naval and military experience.
Finmeccanica subsequently acquired full ownership. The combined company rationalised branding around the AW prefix while maintaining production and engineering centres in Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Poland.
The aircraft originally known as the AB139 was launched as a Bell–Agusta joint programme. After Bell left the venture, it became the AgustaWestland AW139.
The AW139 first flew in 2001 and entered service in 2003. It combined a spacious cabin, strong power reserve, modern avionics and high cruise performance in the intermediate twin-engine category.
Its adaptability allowed the same basic aircraft to serve offshore transport, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police, firefighting, military utility and executive transport. The AW139 became the commercial foundation of Leonardo’s modern rotorcraft business and one of the most successful helicopters of its generation.
Leonardo expanded the AW139 design philosophy into a coordinated family. The smaller AW169, central AW139 and larger AW189 share aspects of cockpit philosophy, safety standards, maintenance approach and handling characteristics.
They are not merely stretched versions of one airframe. Each is optimised for a different weight and mission class, but common principles can simplify pilot transition, training and fleet support.
The AW169 first flew in 2012. It occupies the light-intermediate category between smaller light twins and the AW139. Its cabin can support passenger, medical, police, utility and executive configurations.
Military and government derivatives include the AW169M. The type has attracted emergency-medical and public-service operators in Europe, including the two Swedish aircraft photographed on this page.
The AW189 first flew in 2011 and extends the family into the super-medium category. It is designed for long-range offshore transport, search and rescue, firefighting and government missions.
Its large cabin, auxiliary-power capability and performance in demanding weather make it particularly suitable for operations over water and far from shore bases. The AW189K uses Safran Aneto engines as an alternative powerplant branch.
The AW149 is a military multirole helicopter derived from the same broad design generation as the AW189 but developed around tactical requirements. It can carry troops, equipment and mission systems for transport, special operations, search and rescue, command and medical evacuation.
The aircraft has been selected by Poland and is offered for other military requirements. Its design emphasises survivability, rapid reconfiguration and growth capacity.
The AW159 is the modern descendant of the Lynx and Super Lynx. It retains a compact naval footprint but introduces a new airframe, updated engines, digital cockpit and integrated mission systems.
Naval versions perform surveillance, anti-surface and anti-submarine missions. Battlefield versions support reconnaissance, command and light utility tasks.
The AW249 is Leonardo’s next-generation combat helicopter for the Italian Army. It is larger and more capable than the A129, with increased payload, modern sensors, networked mission systems and the ability to cooperate with uncrewed platforms.
Development aircraft are undergoing flight testing. “Fenice,” meaning phoenix, reflects the renewal of Italy’s attack-helicopter capability.
The AW609 combines rotors that can rotate from vertical to horizontal flight. It takes off and lands like a helicopter, then converts to wing-borne flight for much higher cruise speed and longer range.
The programme originated with Bell and Agusta and later became wholly controlled by AgustaWestland and Leonardo. Development has required a new civil certification framework because powered-lift aircraft do not fit neatly into traditional aeroplane or helicopter categories.
Potential applications include offshore transport, search and rescue, emergency medical missions, government transport and connections between city centres or remote sites without conventional runways.
Leonardo’s helicopter network includes PZL-Świdnik in Poland. The site has its own rotorcraft history, including the Mi-2, W-3 Sokół and SW-4, and also manufactures structures for Leonardo programmes.
The SW-4 has supported optionally piloted and uncrewed research as the SW-4 Solo. Leonardo has also marketed the light-single programme acquired from Kopter as the AW09, distinct from the earlier SW-4-derived use of the AW009 name.
Finmeccanica reorganised its separately controlled businesses into a unified industrial group and adopted the Leonardo name in 2016. AgustaWestland ceased to operate as a separate company name, becoming Leonardo’s Helicopters division.
The change connected rotorcraft more directly with Leonardo’s avionics, radar, communications, electronic-warfare and mission-system capabilities. The Agusta name nevertheless remains visible in the company’s VIP and corporate-helicopter identity.
The current public catalogue includes the AW09, AW109 Trekker, AW109 GrandNew, AW119Kx, AW169, AW139, AW189 and AW609 for civil and parapublic markets, together with military platforms such as the AW101, AW149, AW159, AW169M and AW249.
Leonardo also develops uncrewed and optionally piloted rotorcraft technologies. Its industrial network spans major sites in Italy, Yeovil in the United Kingdom, Philadelphia in the United States and Świdnik in Poland.
The Yeovil site enters aviation production.
Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta begins its Italian aviation lineage.
Agusta and Westland build expertise through Bell and Sikorsky-derived programmes.
Two enduring Italian and British helicopter families begin testing.
Western Europe’s first indigenous attack-helicopter programme flies.
A modified Westland Lynx establishes an official helicopter speed record.
The joint British-Italian heavy-helicopter programme reaches the air.
The Italian and British rotorcraft businesses are combined.
The modern intermediate twin begins its highly successful career.
Commercial operations begin.
The Wildcat modernises the Lynx naval and battlefield concept.
The super-medium member of the AWFamily enters testing.
The light-intermediate family member takes to the air.
AgustaWestland becomes part of the unified Leonardo organisation.
Italy launches the successor to the A129 combat helicopter.
The SH09 light-single programme enters Leonardo’s portfolio.
Leonardo marks one hundred years of the Italian aviation lineage.
Next-generation combat and civil powered-lift programmes continue development.
Leonardo describes the AW169, AW139 and AW189 as a coordinated family built around common design principles. The three aircraft cover different payload and range requirements while offering operators similarities in cockpit logic, safety philosophy and support.
Digital avionics, crashworthiness, systems redundancy and modern certification standards shape all three civil family members.
Operators can select a weight class suited to each route while retaining broadly familiar operational concepts.
Passenger, EMS, SAR, police, offshore, firefighting and executive interiors can be installed according to model.
Shared training and maintenance principles help Leonardo support mixed fleets across multiple regions.
A single-engine helicopter developed from the Kopter SH09, designed for passenger, utility, EMS and public-service missions.
A utility-oriented development of the A109 family combining twin-engine performance with skid landing gear.
A fast light twin used for VIP transport, EMS, police and instrument-flight operations.
A spacious light single used for training, EMS, law enforcement and utility missions.
A compact member of the AWFamily for rescue, medical, public-service, corporate and utility work.
Leonardo’s best-known modern helicopter, serving offshore, SAR, EMS, police, firefighting, military and VIP operators.
A large-cabin helicopter developed for offshore transport, long-range search and rescue and public-service operations.
A long-range platform for naval warfare, troop transport, SAR, special operations and government transport.
A tactical multirole helicopter for troop transport, medevac, command, special operations and combat search and rescue.
The modern Lynx descendant, equipped for maritime surveillance, anti-surface warfare and battlefield reconnaissance.
A military development of the AW169 for training, reconnaissance, utility and security operations.
Italy’s pioneering dedicated combat helicopter and the direct predecessor of the AW249.
A heavier networked attack helicopter with modern sensors, weapons and cooperation with uncrewed systems.
The AW609 uses two large proprotors mounted in rotating nacelles at the wing tips. For take-off, landing and hover, the rotors point upward. During conversion, the nacelles rotate forward until the wing carries the aircraft and the rotors act as propellers.
This gives access to sites without runways while offering substantially greater cruise speed and range than a conventional helicopter. It also creates demanding certification, control-system and emergency-procedure requirements.
Offshore transport, search and rescue, emergency medical services, government transport and rapid regional connection.
Category: civil powered-lift aircraft
Status: development and certification programme
A compact uncrewed helicopter intended for maritime and land surveillance missions with modular payloads.
A PZL-Świdnik SW-4 adapted to demonstrate remotely piloted and optionally piloted rotorcraft operations.
Leonardo is developing systems that allow crewed helicopters such as the AW249 to exchange sensor and mission data with uncrewed aircraft.
Leonardo helicopters can appear in tracking data as air ambulances, police aircraft, offshore transports, military helicopters, rescue platforms or private aircraft. Low-level operations and privacy restrictions can make rotorcraft tracking less complete than airline tracking.
The directory groups Agusta, Westland, AgustaWestland, Leonardo and PZL-Świdnik rotorcraft into coherent family pages.
| Model | General category | Delivered | Active fleet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westland Sea King and Commando family | Naval and search-and-rescue helicopter family | 340+ Westland-built aircraft | Substantial military, utility and heritage fleet |
| PZL-Świdnik W-3 Sokół family | Medium twin-engine utility helicopter family | 180+ | Active Polish and international military and civil fleet |
| PZL-Świdnik SW-4 and SW-4 Solo family | Light helicopter and optionally piloted demonstrator family | 40+ | Small training and research fleet |
| Model | General category | Delivered | Active fleet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agusta A109 and AW109 family | Light twin-engine helicopter family | 700+ | Large corporate, EMS, police and military fleet |
| Agusta A119 and AW119 family | Light single-engine utility helicopter family | 400+ | Large training, military, EMS and utility fleet |
| Agusta A129 and Leonardo AW249 family | Attack-helicopter lineage | ≈60 A129/T129 lineage aircraft excluding licensed T129 totals | Active Italian and Turkish military fleet; AW249 in testing |
| Westland Lynx, Super Lynx and AW159 Wildcat family | Naval and battlefield helicopter family | 500+ | Substantial international military fleet |
| Leonardo AW101 and Merlin family | Heavy three-engine multirole helicopter | 220+ | Large international naval, military, SAR and government fleet |
| Leonardo AW139 family | Intermediate twin-engine helicopter family | 1,300+ | Very large worldwide offshore, EMS, military and government fleet |
| Leonardo AW169 and AW169M family | Light-intermediate twin-engine helicopter family | 200+ | Growing EMS, police, utility and military fleet |
| Leonardo AW189 and AW149 family | Super-medium civil and military helicopter family | 150+ | Growing offshore, SAR and military fleet |
| Leonardo AW09 family | Next-generation light single-engine helicopter | 0 customer deliveries | Development and certification aircraft |
| Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor family | Civil powered-lift tiltrotor | 0 customer deliveries | Certification and flight-test aircraft |
| Leonardo AWHero family | Uncrewed rotary-wing aircraft family | Limited systems and demonstrators | Operational evaluation and development fleet |