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Italian Army receives first UH-169D light utility helicopter

30th April 2025 - 12:12 GMT | by Lucy Powell in London

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The handover of the UH-169D was held of the Army’s aviation HQ in Viterbo. (Photo: Leonardo)

The delivery is the first in a total of 25 helicopters on order, with all deliveries expected to be completed by 2027.

The Italian Army received the first UH-169D light utility helicopter (LUH) from Leonardo on 28 April, the company announced, taking a step towards the overall modernisation of the force's fleet.

The first delivery of this helicopter follows the delivery of two UH-169B training helicopters in 2020, which have since been used for crew familiarisation ahead of the transition to the advanced multirole variant.

The UH-169, according to Leonardo, was developed specifically for the Italian Army and leveraged the AW169 helicopter baseline to allow “a significant technology and capability leap forward”. The deliveries are expected to take place between 2025 and 2027.

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Lucy Powell

Lucy Powell is Shephard’s Air Reporter. She has spent the last two years reporting …

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