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| Leonardo (AgustaWestland) AW139 |
by Chris Pocock
Leonardo Helicopters said that Pakistan has become the latest government customer for the AW139 medium twin-engine helicopter, ordering an undisclosed number for transport and medical evacuation missions. The Italian Coast Guard ordered two more of the same type, bringing its total fleet to 12. The Italian company, previously named AgustaWestland, claims market leadership for the AW139 in the intermediate weight class, with more than 960 sold to almost 240 customers in over 70 countries.
A significant proportion of those sales have been for defense and parapublic applications, such as trooplift, search and rescue, border patrol and maritime surveillance. Government customers for the AW139 include Algeria, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Estonia, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Panama, Qatar, Spain, Sweden, the UAE and the UK. Repeat orders have boosted the total, such as one from the Thai Army last October for eight, adding to the pair that it originally acquired.
Read the full story at AINonline