The Italian Army officially took delivery of its first UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) on April 28.
The handover ceremony was held at the 28th “Tucano” Squadron Group hangar in Viterbo and attended by Army Chief of Staff General Carmine Masiello, senior officials from the Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA), and Leonardo Helicopters executives.
Developed by Leonardo based on the AW169M platform, the UH-169D is intended to replace legacy helicopters including the AB.206, AB.205, AB.212, and AB.412.
According to Leonardo CEO Gian Piero Cutillo, the helicopter “represents the beginning of a new era in capability, technical support, mission flexibility, and interoperability in the light helicopter segment.”
Il Capo di SME, Gen. C.A. Masiello, a Viterbo per la consegna all’Aviazione dell’Esercito dell’UH-169D, Elicottero Multiruolo Leggero di ultima generazione di Leonardo: “Questo risultato è il frutto di un livello di sinergia molto importante e dinamica, che ci aiuterà sicuramente… pic.twitter.com/6q02i7gUyQ
— Esercito Italiano (@Esercito) April 28, 2025
“This new program builds on decades of successful partnership and constant information exchange, aimed at fully understanding evolving operational requirements and addressing them with new technologies,” Cutillo said during the ceremony. He also noted the LUH’s growing role in export initiatives and its potential for multi-domain operations.
General Masiello emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition, stating, “This achievement is the result of a dynamic and essential synergy. It will support the development of additional critical programs necessary to meet both national expectations and the challenges of an increasingly complex international environment.”
The Army has ordered a total of 25 UH-169D helicopters. The delivery of this first operational unit follows the earlier handover of two UH-169B basic training helicopters, used to facilitate pilot transition to the advanced LUH variant.
According to Leonardo, the UH-169D enables a streamlined logistical and operational model through a unified platform approach. The aircraft is capable of performing a wide array of missions including utility transport, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), while offering synergies across certification, logistics, and training with other AW169 fleets operated by Italy’s national agencies.