An order worth US$269 million was placed with Turkish Aerospace Industries in July 2020. A total of six T129B ATAK helicopters will soon be delivered to the Philippine Air Force.
The Leonardo AW249 “Fenice” made its first public appearance in Germany at ILA 2026 in Berlin, Germany.
Video by Follow me - HeliTech, published June 21, 2026, shows Leonardo’s AW249 Fenice in detail and flight at ILA 2026
Leonardo’s AW249 is making its flying display debut at the show as the Italian rotorcraft manufacturer positions the aircraft as a potential successor to Germany’s Airbus Tiger attack helicopters, which are scheduled to retire in the early 2030s.
The AW249, a large attack helicopter distinguished by its slab-sided fuselage, has been developed to replace the AW129 Mangusta Italian for “mongoose” which has served with the Italian Army since the 1980s.
With a maximum weight of 8.3 tonnes, the AW249 is almost twice as heavy as the Mangusta. It has been designed to operate within the Italian Army’s evolving doctrine, which focuses on confronting near-peer adversaries in a multi-domain, anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) environment. The Italian Army required the new aircraft to surpass the Mangusta in every major performance category, including range, payload, speed, and overall capability. Meeting these requirements necessitated a larger and more powerful platform.
To reduce development risks and costs, Leonardo adopted a proven rotorcraft industry approach by reusing the AW149 military utility helicopter’s established dynamic system, including its main gearbox, tail rotor assembly, and five-bladed main rotor. Around this foundation, Leonardo developed an entirely new fuselage, avionics suite, and mission systems.
Power is provided by two General Electric CT7-8E6 turboshaft engines mounted high on the rear fuselage, each producing approximately 2,500 shp. The engines are assembled by GE’s Italian subsidiary, Avio Aero, and have been modified to optimise both take-off and maximum continuous power performance. The Italian Army selected the engine partly because of its commonality with other aircraft in service, including the NHIndustries NH90 transport helicopter.
Leonardo is currently operating four AW249 prototypes, with the fourth aircraft performing in the daily flying display. As Airbus has ended production of the Tiger, the AW249 now stands as Europe’s only dedicated attack helicopter currently in production. With several European governments increasingly favouring domestically produced defence equipment, Leonardo believes the aircraft could find strong export opportunities across the continent.
The company is now in the final stages of the AW249’s development and qualification programme. Remaining milestones include environmental testing, weapons integration, and final armament trials.
“We are demonstrating to the community that the programme is mature and showcasing its capabilities,” said Roberto Pretolani, Head of Military Specialized Platforms at Leonardo Helicopters. “This aircraft was designed from the outset for the operational concepts we expect on the modern battlefield. It delivers an effective balance between payload capacity and agility.”
Leonardo sees a particularly significant opportunity in Germany, where the Army plans to retire its Tiger fleet by 2031. Although Germany is currently replacing the Tigers with Airbus H145M light attack helicopters armed with EuroSpike missiles, Leonardo remains confident that the German armed forces may still require a dedicated attack helicopter capability once the Tiger leaves service.