#Delivery
NEWS | AW119Kx Koala in PT Força Aérea Portuguesa

First Two AW119Kx Delivered to Portugal

Portugal’s Air Force received the first two of five AW119Kx in a ceremony held at Beja Air Base. Rest will followed on early 2020. The new helicopter is replacing the Alouette III in service since 1960s





First Two AW119Kx Delivered to Portugal
Leonardo, February 22, 2019 - The Portuguese Air Force has taken delivery of its first two AW119Kx multirole single engine helicopters.

The event was celebrated during an official ceremony held at Beja Air Base on February 18 in the presence of dignitaries and representatives from the Portuguese Ministry of Defence (MoD), Air Force and Leonardo.

The additional three aircraft that are being assembled at Leonardo’s Philadelphia facility (Pennsylvania, USA), where all AW119s are built, will join the fleet with handover expected to be completed by early 2020.

The Portuguese Air Force’s AW119Kx helicopters will be used to perform a wide range of roles including training, MEDEVAC, troop transport and short range maritime SAR and may be used for firefighting. The AW119Kx was selected following a thorough and rigorous assessment of competing models, demonstrating that Leonardo’s offer was the best suited to the stringent requirements set by the customer. The contract also includes options for two additional units.

The introduction of the AW119Kx marks a further reinforcement of the long standing partnership between Leonardo and the Portuguese MoD in the helicopter sector following the supply to the Air Force of AW101s for long range SAR, utility, personnel recovery and fishery protection missions and of Super Lynx aircraft (including a Mid Life Upgrade) to the Portuguese Navy for maritime roles.

The AW119Kx will provide greater versatility and performance compared to the current fleet of ageing single engine rotary wing aircraft, as well as an outstanding training capability for military crews before moving to the AW101, Super Lynx and other frontline types.

The AW119Kx is a best in class single engine helicopter featuring an advanced avionics system for enhanced situational awareness, mission effectiveness and safety. The AW119Kx is provided with the largest cabin in its category, able to accommodate up to six passengers, and redundancy of all critical systems, typically available on multi-engine aircraft, ensuring outstanding safety and reliability.

Almost 320 AW119 helicopters have been ordered to date by nearly 130 customers in 40 countries, many of them for military and government roles. The new AW119Kx is perfectly suited to perform many roles including government/military duties, training, utility, EMS, firefighting, law enforcement, VIP/corporate transport and offshore transport. The TH-119 dedicated IFR variant is a candidate for the US Navy TH-XX requirement.

About Leonardo. Leonardo, a global high-technology company, is among the top ten world players in Aerospace, Defence and Security and Italy’s main industrial company. Organized into five business divisions, Leonardo has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the USA, where it also operates through subsidiaries such as Leonardo DRS (defense electronics), and joint ventures and partnerships: ATR, MBDA, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and Avio. Leonardo competes in the most important international markets by leveraging its areas of technological and product leadership (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cyber Security and Space).

Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2017 Leonardo recorded consolidated restated revenues of €11.7 billion and invested €1.5 billion in Research and Development. The Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2010.

First Two AW119Kx Delivered to Portugal


First Two AW119Kx Delivered to Portugal





helicopter
Aircraft mentioned in this article :
AW119Kx Koala 29702 29701     ( Força Aérea Portuguesa )

Location : PT Beja (BA11)

  See also


AW119Kx Koala in PT Força Aérea Portuguesa
Esq 552 PT Esquadra de Transporte 552 Força Aérea Portuguesa     Portuguese Air Force




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