The Italian Army is to field new AgustaWestland AW169 light utility helicopters (LUHs) for pilot training, ahead of development and procurement of a new multirole variant. The procurement, disclosed by the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 14 April, solidifies an earlier announcement made in January that the AW169M was to be bought to replace the army's AB 205, AB 212, and AB 412 LUHs, and to augment its CH-47F Chinook, NH90, and A129/A249 helicopters. According to the procurement document, the deal with AgustaWestland parent company Leonardo, which is valued at EUR337 million (USD301 million), covers two helicopters in a 'commercial basic trainer' configuration, as well as approval for the start of development of 15 new 'advanced multirole' helicopters for the Italian Army. The procurement of the trainer-configured AW169s includes a two-year support service in 2022-23 that will guarantee 400 flight hours per helicopter per year.
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