On September 18, one of the new Leonardo AW249 Fenice helicopter from the Italian Army participated for the first time in an operational exercise, Stella Alpina 2024, held at Lake Fedaia (Trento, Italy). The helicopter in question is a pre-production model currently involved in the development activities of the AW249 program.
The new helicopter was integrated into the operation’s resources within a combat network and tactical bubble—a set of cybersecurity and electromagnetic protection measures to safeguard units, systems, and their connections, achieving cyber and electromagnetic spectrum superiority. It demonstrated its mission capabilities in multi-domain contexts that demand, among other things, high interoperability and connectivity, including with remotely piloted systems, as well as cybersecurity and electromagnetic protection.
The Stella Alpina 2024 exercise was designed to showcase the Army’s capacity enhancement process and technological innovation, applied through a multi-domain approach to address the threats of modern warfare scenarios and the challenges posed by new confrontation frontiers. Among the key objectives of the exercise was the deployment of systems, vehicles, and equipment that had recently entered service or were in the process of acquisition, to adapt the ground military force to new conflict management paradigms and new ways of combat, with a focus on technology and digitalization.
During the exercise, a tactical operation aimed at recapturing a dam was carried out using conventional combat capabilities, complemented and supported by the technological innovations driving the Army’s transformation. Specifically, the integration of cyber capabilities with those of the electromagnetic spectrum proved crucial in maintaining a strategic advantage over potential adversaries with similar combat capabilities.
Leonardo AW249 Fenice helicopter
To date, there are two flying prototypes, another one is expected to fly soon, and a fourth by the end of the year. A contract has been signed for the delivery of 7 production machines starting in 2027, followed by the delivery of an additional 12, reaching a total of 48 machines in FOC (Full Operational Capability) standard, as required by the Italian Army, with a delivery cadence of 7-8 machines per year from 2028 onwards.
Leonardo developed the new AW249 in close synergy with the military, drawing on 40 years of operational service experience with the AW129 Mangusta. The technological and industrial excellence provided by Leonardo, along with the Italian Army, has led to one of the most ambitious projects, going beyond the state of the art in rotary-wing technology and bringing the future into a consolidated reality.
The Leonardo AW249 Fenice helicopter is not intended to be an AW129 Mark 2, nor an evolution of the latter, but an entirely new machine that benefits from the Army Aviation’s solid operational experience, while representing a true technological revolution. All this aims to meet the continuously evolving operational needs, which are very different from the scenarios present in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the Mangusta was an advanced machine.
A futuristic machine with avionics light-years ahead of what was possible 30 or 40 years ago, the AW249 is designed to be a node in a multi-domain operational theater, working in full synergy with everything around it: air, land, sea, cyber, and space.
The Fenice is not merely a state-of-the-art helicopter but a genuine platform designed to keep up with the times for the next 30 years in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. For this reason, it is not enough to have a simple product of excellence, but a multi-domain platform with features that Leonardo is designing, testing, and introducing on the helicopter today, thanks to the military’s clear vision, which will be operationally available within a few years. This is something that is difficult to claim elsewhere in the West.
The Leonardo AW249 Fenice helicopter, produced 80 percent in Europe with much of the components made in Italy, also makes it an attractive product for export. With an open architecture “by design,” it offers the possibility of customization according to the customer’s needs, increasing, where deemed necessary, the implementation of progressive operational capabilities. This allows third-party companies to introduce customizations, fostering industrial and technological collaborations so that even potential customers can have a role in the evolution of the AW249.
A machine entirely different from the Mangusta, with much more advanced performance, such as its propulsion system with over 5000HP of thrust compared to the Mangusta’s 2000HP. The AW249 is larger, heavier—almost twice as much—and with a greater range.
The cockpit is equipped with Large Area Displays (LAD) touchscreens for the pilot and copilot/gunner, and a helmet capable of “Sensor Fusion,” which provides the crew with Situation Awareness (SA) in the operational theater, even in zero-visibility conditions. The self-protection suite is extremely sophisticated, with the ability to detect even small-caliber threats and counter infrared threats.
The Leonardo AW249 Fenice does not aim to be just the most modern combat helicopter, but something that goes beyond current market technology: a platform capable of evolving for future, rapidly changing scenarios. For this reason, the Italian Army, together with Leonardo, has made an evolutionary leap this time, one that is unprecedented in history and unmatched at the moment.
Images: Leonardo