AgustaWestland AW149

The AgustaWestland AW149 is a medium-lift multi-role military helicopter developed by AgustaWestland, now part of Leonardo. Work began in the early 2000s on a design intended from the start for military operations, with a heavy-duty wheeled tricycle landing gear that allows operation from unprepared surfaces. The programme was publicly launched in July 2006, and the first prototype made its maiden flight on 13 November 2009 from the Vergiate factory in northern Italy; the second prototype, the first with production-standard engines, followed on 26 February 2011. In June 2011 the company announced a civil derivative, which became the AW189. The AW149 had military flight certification by 2014, the Royal Thai Army was its first export customer, and sales have also gone to Egypt and North Macedonia, while Poland and the United Kingdom have placed military orders and will have domestic production lines. Its maximum take-off weight is 8,600 kilograms.