Italy Doubles Down on the AW249 “Fenice”. The Next-Generation Combat Rotorcraft
Italy has formally signed for an additional 29 AW249 “Fenice” (Phoenix) attack helicopters in a €1.22 billion deal, expanding its fleet to 48 aircraft and cementing Leonardo’s position as Europe’s only developer of a fully indigenous next-generation attack rotorcraft.
The follow-on order, confirmed by the Italian Ministry of Defence and Leonardo Helicopters, represents both confidence in the platform and a strong industrial signal amid increasing NATO rearmament.
Why It Matters
Replacing the Mangusta:
The AW249 will progressively replace Italy’s legacy A129 Mangusta, offering double the payload, a greater range (796 km), and modern avionics aligned with NATO’s multi-domain interoperability standards.
Designed for Future Battlefields:
According to Leonardo’s technical data, the AW249 integrates:
Open Avionics Architecture for rapid software upgrades.
Crewed–Uncrewed Teaming (CUC-T) to control drones or loitering munitions directly from the cockpit.
A Battle Management System (BMS) fusing data from sensors, UAVs, and satellites for 360° situational awareness.
Anti-jam/anti-spoofing GPS, electronic warfare (EW) suite, and automatic target recognition (ATR).
Power and survivability:
Powered by twin engines in the 2,500–3,000 SHP (shaft horsepower) class, the AW249 combines agility, ballistic tolerance, and digital threat countermeasures. Its self-sealing fuel systems, redundant flight controls, and low-observable coatings meet the European Defence Agency and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) standards.
Strategic Implications
🇮🇹 For Italy:
The deal reinforces Rome’s goal of a digitally networked, sovereign air combat capability through 2055 and provides long-term industrial workload for Leonardo’s Cascina Costa and Vergiate plants.
🇪🇺 For Europe:
As the only modern European combat helicopter now in serial production, the AW249 could become the continent’s benchmark for medium-weight attack platforms, potentially competing in future NATO and export tenders where the AH-64E and Tiger Mk III currently dominate.
Food for Thought
Will Leonardo’s modular open architecture allow the AW249 to stay relevant across evolving NATO data-link and AI-assisted mission systems?
Could this platform become the European core for joint unmanned–manned attack ecosystems?
How might export interest—especially from Poland, Hungary, or the Middle East—shape AW249 production scale and unit cost?
Sources:
The Aviationist – “Italy Orders 29 More AW249 Attack Helicopters” (Oct 29 2025)
FlightGlobal – “Italy Lines Up Follow-on Order for 29 AW249s in €1.22 bn Deal” (Oct 2025)
Leonardo Helicopters – AW249 Brochure (May 2025)
Wikipedia – AW249 Fenice / Active Italian Military Aircraft
Credits: Leonardo Helicopters
Credits: Leonardo Helicopters
Credits: Leonardo Helicopters