Leonardo delivers an additional AW169M helicopter to Italy’s Carabinieri

The Carabinieri’s General Commander, Lieutenant General Teo Luzi, saw firsthand the progress made in the service’s modernization program upon visiting Leonardo’s Vergiate final assembly line facility last week. The three new helicopter models acquired by the service in recent years include the AW139, AW169M and AW119Kx, each intended to offer the best mission management depending on a range of operational needs.

According to Leonardo, the Carabinieri’s AW169Ms feature a special configuration including a rescue hoist, wire cutter, fast roping system, cargo hook, advanced ground proximity system, a night vision goggles-compatible cockpit, and searchlight. Further equipment and mission systems provided by Leonardo are integrated into the helicopter, including the LEOSS II electro-optics, IFF transponder, tactical radio, mission console, and the Obstacle Proximity Lidar System (OPLS) collision avoidance system.

The Carabinieri’s helicopter fleet modernization program, which also includes comprehensive technical support and training services for maintenance technicians and pilots or crews, allows the growth of the Carabinieri Air Service’s capabilities, with the aim of enhancing the security of communities in Italy.

The helicopters’ advanced technology makes it possible to carry out an array of patrol and reconnaissance tasks over land, identifying critical targets, gathering investigation evidence, and supporting ground units’ activities.

Other duties include environment monitoring and protection, firefighting (if asked by the National Disaster Relief Authority) as well as rescue missions.

Trakka Systems recently announced the successful deployment of its TrakkaBeam TLX high-intensity searchlight on helicopters used by the Italian national police force.