Austrian Armed Forces Procure New Helicopters
The decision has been taken: The Ministry of Defence buys 18 new Leonardo AW169M helicopters, the acquisition is made in cooperation with Italy and amounts to 300 million euros.
"Investing in security"
Minister of Defence Claudia Tanner announced the decision on Monday: "Buying this highly efficient and modern helicopter will not only enhance the security of our soldiers but also the security of the whole population. This purchase means an investment in the future of Austria."
Replacing the former fleet
The new helicopters will replace the light Alouette III utility and transport helicopters, which have been in service since 1967 and which are to be decommissioned by the end of 2023 for technical reasons.
Efficient and versatile
The AW169M is particularly powerful and, therefore, also highly suitable for mountain operations. Due to its avionics, it also flies at night and in bad weather conditions. The systems includes various features, which makes the helicopter deployable in a multitude of missions: transportation of people and material, air reconnaissance, extinguishing wild fires, and many other mission types.
Efficient training
Some of the new helicopters will be used for training purposes. This will make training more efficient and reduce the training tasks of operation squadrons. If need be, the training helicopters can be used for operation tasks any time.
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The Austrian Ministry of Defence buys 18 Leonardo AW169M helicopters.
The new helicopters will replace the Alouette III fleet.