Italy and Austria sign G2G agreement for 18 AW169 helicopters

Seen in Italian service, the AW169 is to be acquired shortly by Austria also. (Leonardo)

Italy and Austria have entered into a government-to-government (G2G) agreement for the sale and procurement of 18 Leonardo AW169 multirole helicopters for the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer).

Signed on 2 December at the Italian Ministry of Defence in Rome between Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini and Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, the implementation phase of the agreement paves the way for a formal contractual agreement by 20 December and acquisition signature in mid-January 2022. Austria has earmarked between EUR300 million (USD340 million) and EUR400 million for the programme.

According to the Italian National Armaments Directorate (ARMAERO), the contract will cover six helicopters in the AW169B configuration, as well as up to 12 potentially armed AW169MA helicopters. Spares, training, support, and other items will be included in the sale. The agreement also includes an option for a further six AW169Bs and a further 12 AW169MAs; however, it was not said for how long this option will remain valid.