Leonardo reports on AW149 firing trial activities
Leonardo has announced that successful weapon firing trials took place from its AW149 in Q4 2021 in an undisclosed European country
The aircraft conducted rocket firing trials, both unguided and laser-guided. According to a Leonardo spokesperson, the flight trials assessed:
- Safe separation of laser guided rockets from the hover and forward flight
- Refinement of the unguided rocket cockpit firing solution symbology to further aid accuracy
- Impact on EO and NVG performance during night ripple firings of unguided rockets.
The AW149 multi-role helicopter is Leonardo’s latest-generation battlefield platform, reconfigurable for a wide range of demanding missions in the most severe operational environments. An open systems architecture enables the rapid and low-cost integration of new equipment to meet changing military requirements.
With an active helicopter production line Leonardo will be able to deliver AW149 helicopters by the UK’s required in-service date of 2025.
Clara Bullock
Clara Bullock is a writer for ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue. Initially a freelance writer for publications ranging from gardening news to music magazines, she has made the transition to writing about the ins and outs of travel insurance and aeromedicine. In her spare time she reviews books on Instagram and eats pasta.