AgustaWestland's AAS flight demonstrations complete
AgustaWestland North America announced on 3 July that it has completed a week of flight demonstrations for the US Army as it moves forward with its Armed Aerial Scout programme.
AgustaWestland performed the Armed Aerial Scout demonstrations with the AW139M as a technology demonstrator. The company plans to propose a military variant of the AW169 for the mission, based on the US Army's request for information.
The AW139 and AW169 possess the same high performance flight characteristics, superior power-to-weight ratios, safety features and share the same common design philosophy and maintenance concepts, the company said.
R Scott Rettig, CEO of AgustaWestland North America, commented on the milestone, saying: ‘We welcome the opportunity to have been chosen for the first Armed Aerial Scout flight demonstrations - we were prepared, ready and we're moving forward. We are confident that the breadth and depth of our product portfolio and military expertise will meet the US Army's mission needs, as they assess new technologies and further define the requirements for the Armed Aerial Scout mission.'
According to the company, AgustaWestland is on a flight test programme to have the AW169 complete both FAA and EASA certification. The technology and capability of the AW139M, demonstrated for the Armed Aerial Scout programme, was militarized for the USAF UH-1N modernisation and replacement effort and adjacent national security missions.
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