The AgustaWestland AW139, now known as the Leonardo AW139, is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engined

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

developed and produced by the Italian helicopter manufacturer

AgustaWestland AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccani ...

, now part of Leonardo. It is marketed at several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, military use, offshore transport, firefighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol."US Corporate Operator Signs Contract For Two AW139 Helicopters."
''AgustaWestland'', 18 June 2014. The AW139 was designed jointly by the Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta and the American company

Bell Helicopters Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, United States as well as commercial heli ...

. It was marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, but was redesignated as the AW139 after Bell withdrew from the project. In addition to AgustaWestland's manufacturing facilities in Italy and the United States, other companies are involved in the programme, such as the Polish manufacturer

PZL-Świdnik PZL-Świdnik S.A. (''Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego PZL-Świdnik S.A.'') is the biggest helicopter manufacturer in Poland. Its main products are PZL W-3 Sokół and PZL SW-4 Puszczyk helicopters. In early 2010 the factory was acquired by ...

, which has produced hundreds of AW139 airframes, and HeliVert, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and

Russian Helicopters JSC Russian Helicopters () is a helicopter design and manufacturing company headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The company designs and manufactures civilian and military helicopters. The company's principal shareholder is Rostec. It is the world's ...

, which has established a production line inside Russia for the type. Having performed its

maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...

on 3 February 2001, the AW139 entered revenue service in 2003 and quickly proved itself to be a commercial success. Many AW139 customers have been in the civilian sector. Large fleets have been obtained by operators such as

CHC Helicopter CHC Helicopter is a Texas-based helicopter services company. CHC Helicopter maintains its global headquarters in Irving, Texas and operates more than 250 aircraft in 30 countries around the world. CHC's major international operating units are ...

Gulf Helicopters Gulf Helicopters Company (GHC) is a Qatari helicopter services provider mainly servicing the oil and gas industry in Middle East, North Africa and Asia. It is a 100% subsidiary of Gulf International Services under the QatarEnergy umbrella, and h ...

, and

Weststar Aviation Weststar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd (doing business as Weststar Aviation Services) is a Malaysian-based non-scheduled airline company primarily engaged in the transportation of oil & gas personnel. Its main base is located in Sultan Abdul Aziz ...

. Its performance has made it popular amongst operators supporting the offshore oil and gas industry. A dedicated militarised model, the ''AW139M'', was developed by AgustaWestland. It was first procured by the

Italian Air Force The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italy, Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force ...

. Other military operators include the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, which operates the

MH-139 Grey Wolf The Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf is a twin-engine helicopter operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for security and support missions. Developed by Boeing, the Grey Wolf is a variant of the Leonardo AW139, an Italian-built multi-role helicopt ...

model. The Japanese business Mitsui Bussan Aerospace has obtained an exclusive distribution agreement for the AW139 in Japan. Over 1,200 rotorcraft had been produced by July 2024. The AW139 has been developed into the

AW149 The AgustaWestland AW149 is a medium-lift multi-role military helicopter developed by AgustaWestland, now Leonardo, launched in 2006 and had its first flight in 2009. By 2014 it had received military flight certification, and it went on to ent ...

, an enlarged medium-lift military orientated rotorcraft.

Development

Origins

In 1997, the Italian helicopter manufacturer

Agusta Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first aeroplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot ...

launched a programme to develop a replacement for the

Bell Huey family The Bell Huey family of helicopters includes a wide range of civil and military aircraft produced since 1956 by Bell Helicopter. This H-1 family of aircraft includes the utility UH-1 Iroquois and the derivative AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter seri ...

of helicopters, which had been built in very large numbers by

Bell Helicopter Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, United States as well as commercial heli ...

and under license by Agusta. A potential market of 900 aircraft was predicted. In 1998, Bell and Agusta entered into an agreement setting up a joint venture, Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company (BAAC), to develop two aircraft: a conventional helicopter and a

tiltrotor A tiltrotor is an aircraft that generates lift (force), lift and thrust, propulsion by way of one or more powered Helicopter rotor, rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shaft (mechanical engineering), shafts or nacelles ...

aircraft. These became the Bell/Agusta AB139 and Bell/Agusta BA609 respectively.Niccoli 2001, p. 158. Bell was to be the leading partner for the development of the BA609 while Agusta would be the lead partner for the AB139. It was intended for production, sales, and support to be shared.Bower, Ron
"The AB139: Filling The Market Gap."
''Rotor&Wing'', 1 May 2005. In September 2000, the first order was placed by

Bristow Helicopters Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group () which in turn has its corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas, U.S ...

. The first preproduction helicopter flew on 3 February 2001 at

Vergiate Vergiate is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 km northwest of Milan and about 15 km southwest of Varese. As of 31 December 2018 it had a population of 8,716 Vergiate bo ...

in Italy,Jackson 2003, p. 227.Niccoli 2001, p. 163. with two further AW139s participating in flying trials. The first production AW139 made its first flight on 24 June 2002.1>Jackson 2003, p. 31. European JAA certification was received in June 2003, and its FAA type certificate followed in December 2004. By May 2005, the AW139 had received in excess of 100 orders worldwide. In the US, the type was marketed under the designation US139, and was entered into the US Army's Light Utility Helicopter competition. A key market for the AW139 was the oil and gas industry, which required helicopters of increased endurance for offshore operations. In 2005, AgustaWestland bought out Bell's 25% share in the program and all of its rights to the AW139 for $95 million. In April 2008, AgustaWestland revealed that it was in the process of certifying an increase in the AW139's max gross weight to 14,991 lb (6,800 kg), to better compete in long-range markets served by helicopters such as the larger

Sikorsky S-92 The Sikorsky S-92 is an American twin-engine medium-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft for the civil and military helicopter markets. The S-92 was developed from the Sikorsky S-70 helicopter and has similar parts such as flight control ...

and Eurocopter EC225. In 2007, a second production line at the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

AgustaWestland Aerospace plant in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

was established. The Philadelphia plant produced its 200th AW139 in September 2014, at which point U.S. production was intended to reach 40 units per year in the near future. By 2011, AgustaWestland was producing 90 AW139s per year. 9.5% of the company's overall revenue in 2010 was attributed to the type.Osborne, Tony
"PAS 2011: AW139 has 'changed' AgustaWestland's behaviour"
''Rotorhub''. Shephard Media. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2012. By 2013, a combined total of 720 AW139s had been sold to over 200 operators in 60 countries.

Further development

In 2011, a military-configured variant, the AW139M, was revealed by AgustaWestland. It was promoted at the US market, including for the U.S. Air Force's Common Vertical Lift Support Program. The AW139M is equipped with a high definition forward-looking infrared (FLIR), self-protection system, heavy-duty landing gear, and has low thermal and acoustic signatures. A significant proportion of the equipment is sourced from American manufacturers. Options offered include an external stores system including various armaments, armoured seats, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a full ice protection system for all-weather operations. The AW139 serves as the basis for AgustaWestland's wider business strategy, under which it aims to produce a standardised family of helicopters with common design features. The sharing of components and design philosophies is intended to simplify maintenance and training for operators. Commonality also lowers the production costs. The AW139 was the first of this group, and as of 2014, it was to be joined by the larger

and AW189, aimed at military and civilian customers respectively. Advances made in the development of new models are intended to be transferable onto existing family members, decreasing the cost of future upgrades for the AW139.Head, Elan
"Upward Trend."
''Vertical'', 22 January 2014. In June 2010, it was announced that AgustaWestland and Rostvertol would build a manufacturing plant in

Tomilino Tomilino () is an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (a urban-type settlement, work settlement) in Lyuberetsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. Population: In terms of population, Tomilino is the largest urban-type settlem ...

, Moscow Region, where it was initially planned to produce AW139s by 2012. HeliVert, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Rostvertol, began domestic production of the AW139 in 2012, at which point it was planned that between 15 and 20 helicopters would be produced per year. The first AW139 to be assembled in Russia made its first flight in December 2012."Exclases Russia buys three corporate AW139s from HeliVert."
''Vertical'', 17 September 2014. In January 2013, the Russian Defense Ministry was reportedly considering placing an order for seven AW139s. In January 2014, HeliVert received a Certificate of Approval from the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee to begin production of commercial AW139s. In September 2014, a certificate was granted to perform comprehensive maintenance and servicing of the type at the Tomilino facility. During 2015, AgustaWestland unveiled an AW139 model with an increased gross weight of seven

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...

s, enabling a range of 305 km while carrying 12 passengers. Existing AW139s can be rebuilt to the newer heavy-weight model. This heavier airframe comes at the expense of decreased hot and high performance.Turnbull, Grant.
AgustaWestland unveils heavier AW139
. ''Rotorhub'', Shephard Media. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015. In November 2015, AgustaWestland demonstrated a 60-minute "run-dry" test (no oil) of an AW139's main gearbox, 30 minutes greater than any other certified rotorcraft at the time.

Design

The AW139 is a conventional twin-engine multi-role helicopter. It has a five-bladed fully articulated main rotor with a

titanium Titanium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

hub and composite blades and a four-bladed articulated tail rotor. It is fitted with retractable

tricycle landing gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', that is arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one or more nose wheels in a single front undercarriage and two or more main wheels slightly aft of th ...

, the two aft wheels retracting into external sponsons which are also used to house emergency equipment. It is flown by a crew of two pilots, with up to 15 passengers accommodated in three rows of five. The AW139 had been aimed at a vacant niche in the market, sitting below larger types such as the

Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma The Airbus Helicopters H215 (formerly Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma) is a four-bladed, twin-engined, medium-sized, utility helicopter developed and initially produced by French aerospace company Aérospatiale. It has been subsequently manufactur ...

and

, and above smaller ones like the

Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been ...

and

Eurocopter EC155 The Airbus Helicopters H155 (formerly Eurocopter EC155) is a long-range medium-lift passenger transport helicopter developed by Eurocopter from its Eurocopter Dauphin, Dauphin family for civil aviation use. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can ...

. Rotor & Wing has described the AW139's flying attitude as 'docile and predictable'. The AW139 is powered by two

FADEC A full authority digital engine (or electronics) control (FADEC) is a system consisting of a digital computer, called an "electronic engine controller" (EEC) or " engine control unit" (ECU), and its related accessories that control all aspects of a ...

-controlled Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C turboshaft engines. The FADEC system seamlessly adjusts the engines for pilot convenience and passenger comfort, and can automatically handle a single-engine failure without noticeable deviation.Niccoli 2001, pp. 158–159, 162. It was constructed with maintenance requirements in mind. Critical systems can be readily accessed, where possible the number of parts has been reduced, and many components have been designed for an extended lifecycle. A Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) is equipped."Swedish Maritime Administration Orders Seven AW139 Helicopters for Search and Rescue."
''Shipping & Marine'', 4 February 2013. More than a thousand customizable items of equipment can be configured per customer demand, including auxiliary fuel tanks, rescue hoists, cargo hooks, search and weather radar, ice protection systems, external cameras and searchlights, and seating arrangements. The AW139 cockpit is based on the modular

Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building automation, industrial automa ...

Primus EPIC avionics system incorporating a four

LCD A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to display information. Liquid crystals do not em ...

screen

glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features an array of electronic (digital) flight instrument display device, displays, typically large liquid-crystal display, LCD screens, rather than traditional Analog device, analog dials and gauges ...

. Although an option on early models, most aircraft include a four-axis autopilot, which allows higher levels of automation and safety and enables advanced functions such as auto-hover. This level of automation has allowed certification for single-pilot operations under

instrument flight rules In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fl ...

conditions (SPIFR), and the cockpit can optionally be modified for compatibility with

night vision goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...

. The latest version of the Primus EPIC avionics systems includes a

synthetic vision system A synthetic vision system (SVS) is a computer-mediated reality system for aerial vehicles, that uses 3D to provide pilots with clear and intuitive means of understanding their flying environment. Functionality Synthetic vision provides situat ...

. Pilot training for the type is available via advanced Level D Full Flight Simulators. The AW139 has "the largest cabin in its class", containing up to 15 passengers or four litters and accompanying medics. An additional baggage compartment is used to stow equipment to keep the main cabin clear for use. Large sections of the AW139 have been developed and produced by a range of different companies. Airframes are typically produced by

, who delivered their 200th airframe in April 2014.

Pratt & Whitney Canada Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC or P&WC) is a Canada-based aircraft engine manufacturer. PWC's headquarters are in Longueuil, Quebec, south of Montreal. It is a division of the larger US-based Pratt & Whitney (P&W), itself a business unit of RTX ...

produce the type's PT6C turboshaft engines. The primary and secondary transmissions were developed by Westland GKN and

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headquartered in Minato, To ...

respectively. A significant portion of the avionics are sourced from

."AW139, setting the standard in its category."
''helicomag.com,'' 14 June 2012.

Turkish Aerospace Industries Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (, TAI or TUSAŞ) is a state-owned Arms industry, arms company in Turkey. History On 16 August 1925 the Turkish Aircraft and Engine Limited Company ''()'' factory was founded in Kayseri, Turkey. The company ...

has been subcontracted to manufacture various elements of the AW139, including the fuselage, canopy, and radome. Final assembly of most AW139s is performed at AgustaWestland's facilities in

, United States, and

, Italy."Helicopter News."
''propilotmag.com'', 5 April 2014. Those destined for customers within the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...

are typically assembled by a third final manufacturing plant in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

operated by HeliVert.

Operational history

The

Irish Air Corps The Air Corps () is the air force of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out ...

was the first military operator to introduce the AW139. It took delivery of the first of a batch of six rotorcraft during August 2006."Year in Review—Products: Pick of the Litter."
''Rotor&Wing'', 1 December 2006. The

United Arab Emirates Air Force The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) () is the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), part of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates were still under British rule. Since then, ...

and the

Qatar Air Force The Qatar Emiri Air Force () (QEAF) is the air arm of the Qatar Armed Forces, armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small aerial support wing, although in modern times it has evolved into a potent, well equipped for ...

became the second and third military operators of the AW139, procuring 9 and 18 rotorcraft respectively. A specialised military variant, the AW139M, was launched, for which the Italian Air Force became the launch customer. Designated ''HH-139A'' in Italian service, the type has been primarily tasked with combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations. The Italian Coast Guard placed repeat orders for the type throughout the 2010s, ordering 12 AW139s by mid-2016. In February 2006, Mitsui Bussan Aerospace signed a $100 million contract for 12 AW139s and an exclusive distribution agreement for the AW139 in Japan. In October 2006, the

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard responsible for the protection of the Geography of Japan#Composition, topography and geography, coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It consists of about ...

announced the AW139 as the replacement for its Bell 212 search and rescue fleet. By early 2011, 18 AW139s were on order by the Japan Coast Guard through Mitsui Bussan as the distributor. A total of 24 are expected to be ordered. The Japanese National Police Agency placed multiple orders for the AW139. Other organisations in Japan have used the type for electronic news gathering, firefighting, disaster relief operations. In 2016, Leonardo announced that the 50th AW139 to the Japanese market had been delivered. In March 2017, the delivery of the first Japanese

VIP A very important person (VIP or V.I.P.) or personage is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social rank, status, influence, or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War II when it was populari ...

-configured AW139 took place to an undisclosed customer. In the North American market,

was the first operator of the type. In 2012, CHC became the largest operator of the AW139 in the world, at that point operating a fleet of 44 in search and rescue, emergency medical service and offshore transport missions. In 2015, responsibility for the maintenance of CHC's AW139 fleet was reorganized under their maintenance, repair and overhaul services (MRO) division, ''Heli-One''. Early activities have included post-delivery modifications and engine overhauls. Heli-One has endeavoured to expand the scope of its MRO in coordination with Leonardo Helicopters, becoming an authorized component repair center by the company, and become approved to perform main

gearbox A transmission (also called a gearbox) is a mechanical device invented by Louis Renault (who founded Renault) which uses a gear set—two or more gears working together—to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication/r ...

work in April 2021. In October 2012, the

Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA (; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 187 ...

ordered a pair of AW139s. A further eight were produced in October 2015. In September 2021, the privately owned company Thai Aviation Services arranged the delivery of three AW139s to undertake a multi-year contract to support oil and gas extraction activities in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. In 2021, following the retirement of the

Royal Malaysian Air Force The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the British Royal A ...

Sikorsky S-61 The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, SH-3 Sea King military helicopter. They were developed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The commercial version of the Sea King ...

fleet, the service leased four AW139s as an interim replacement. Ornge C-GYNP

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

-based firm

has become one of the largest AW139 operators worldwide, first ordering the type in 2007 for offshore transport duties. It has since become an authorized service center and training center for the AW139. Malaysian operator

is the biggest operator of the AW139 in the Asia Pacific region. By February 2014, the company had ordered 34 helicopters. Since taking delivery of their first AW139 in December 2010, Weststar has typically employed the type in support of offshore oil and gas operations. Numerous AW139s have been produced for operators in Russia, mainly via the HeliVert initiative. In September 2014, Exclases Russia ordered three in

configurations. During December 2021, it was announced that HeliVert had supplied four AW139s to the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate

Rostec Rostec, formally trading as State Corporation "Rostec", fully the State Corporation for the Promotion of the Development, Manufacture, and Export of High Tech Products "Rostec" and formerly Rostekhnologii, is a Russian State corporation (Russia), ...

. In March 2022, shortly following the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, Leonardo Helicopters suspended its business in Russia and restricted the support available to existing operators of the type in the country. In July 2014, AgustaWestland announced that the global fleet had accumulated in excess of one million flight hours. By this milestone, a total of 770 AW139s had been produced. In May 2016, AgustaWestland parent Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced that Pakistan had signed a contract for an undisclosed number of AW139s as part of a fleet renewal programme spread over several batches, including a logistic support and training package, to perform search and rescue (SAR) operations across the country. At the time of the announcement, a total of 11 AW139s were already in service in Pakistan, five of which were being operated for government relief and general transportation duties. Chinese operators have imported the type. By February 2010, two AW139s had been ordered by both the

Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau () is a department of the Beijing Municipal People's Government. It serves as the city's public security bureau and branch of the people's police under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) The headq ...

and the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau for law enforcement, disaster relief, and general transportation duties. In July 2022, it was stated that 40 AW139s had been delivered by Leonardo Helicopters to China. The largest civil helicopter operator in China,

CITIC Offshore Helicopter CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co., Ltd. is a China-based company that engages in offshore helicopter oil, general aviation transportation and aviation maintenance services. It is a part of CITIC Group. CITIC Offshore Helicopter operates its businesse ...

, operates eight AW139s. In September 2018, the

(USAF) announced that the MH-139, an AW139 variant, was the winner of a competition to replace the Vietnam-era

Bell UH-1N The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is a member of the extensive Huey family, the initial version was the CUH-1N Twin Huey (later CH-135 Twin ...

s. The service will buy up to 84 MH-139s. On 19 December 2019, the USAF received the first MH-139A Grey Wolf at

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test ...

. Flight testing began in 2020. Several rectifiable deficiencies were identified, such as the positioning of the gunner in the cabin fulfilling the specified requirements yet not satisfying reviewing USAF officials. Alternative cabin configurations have been discussed. In early March 2023, the USAF gave a positive Milestone C decision and issued a $285 million LRIP contract for the first 13 MH-139s. Low-rate production began days later.

Variants

;AB139 :Original Italian-built production aircraft, 54 built."Type Certificate Data Sheet: AB139-AW139."
''European Aviation Safety Agency'', Issue 15, 23 January 2012. ;AW139 :Designation change from 55th aircraft onwards, built in Italy. ;AW139 (long nose configuration) :Long nose variant with increased room for avionics built in Italy and the United States. ;AW139M :Militarised variant, capable of carrying various weapons payloads. ;HH-139A :

designation for ten search-and rescue configured AW139Ms.

Flight International ''Flight International'', formerly ''Flight'', is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", i ...

"Italy fields first of 10 search and rescue HH-193As", 20–26 March 2012 ;VH-139A :Italian Air Force designation for two VIP configured AW139s. ;HH-139B :Italian Air Force designation for newer AW139. ;UH-139C :

Italian State Police The (State Police or P.S.) is one of the national police forces of Italy. Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agencies it is also responsib ...

designation. ;UH-139D :Italian

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

designation. ;PH-139D :Italian

Guardia di Finanza The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...

designation. ;UH-139E :

designation. ;US139 :Military variant, was the AgustaWestland proposed entry for the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Light Utility Helicopter programme in partnership with L-3 Communications. ;

MH-139A Grey Wolf The Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf is a twin-engine helicopter operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for security and support missions. Developed by Boeing, the Grey Wolf is a variant of the Leonardo AW139, an Italian-built multi-role helicopt ...

:Military variant from

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

in partnership with Leonardo. It was selected by the

to replace its

UH-1N The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is a member of the extensive Huey family, the initial version was the CUH-1N Twin Huey (later CH-135 Twin ...

fleet. The

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

accepted its first MH-139 in December 2019 and named it "Grey Wolf". ;AW139W :A variant offered to the

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, ...

Operators

Military

MH-139-Grey-Wolf 96th Test Wing Public Affairs

; *

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(contracted with

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Kenya Air Force The Kenya Air Force (KAF) or is the national aerial warfare service branch of the Republic of Kenya. The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the headquarters. Other ba ...

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; * Aeronaval Service of Panama ; *

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Civilian

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* Toll Ambulance Rescue *

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; * Tokyo Police Department (4 on order) *

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; * Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement ; *

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VIP transport ; *

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* National Police ; *

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* The King's Helicopter Flight ; *

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Notable accidents

As of August 2024 the AW139 has been involved in 62 incidents with 56 fatalities. * On 19 August 2011, a

Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...

operated AW139 crashed in the sea at the

Campos Basin The Campos Basin is one of 12 coastal sedimentary basins of Brazil. It spans both onshore and offshore parts of the South Atlantic with the onshore part located near Rio de Janeiro. The basin originated in Neocomian stage of the Cretaceous peri ...

in Brazil after taking off from an offshore oil platform, killing all four people on board. * On 13 March 2014, Haughey Air AW139 (registration G-LBAL) crashed shortly after takeoff from

Gillingham, Norfolk Gillingham ( ) is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Gillingham is located north-west of Beccles and south-east of Norwich, along the A146. History Gillingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives f ...

, United Kingdom, killing all four people on board. * On 8 August 2016, a Kenyan National Police Airwing AgustaWestland AW139 Registration 5Y-NPS crash-landed in Mathare, Nairobi while on a routine surveillance mission with four occupants with all of them being seriously injured. * On 29 December 2018, a United Arab Emirates

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services, pre-hospital care or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to d ...

AgustaWestland AW139 on a mission to lift an injured person clipped the world's longest zip line and crashed in

Jebel Jais Jebel Jais () is a mountain of the North- Western Hajar range in the Musandam Governorate of Oman and also in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The summit has an elevation of . The summit is located on the Omani side, but a high point west ...

Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah (; ), often referred to its initials RAK, is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. The city had a population of 191,753 in 2025, and is the sixth-most populous city in UAE after Dubai, Abu ...

, United Arab Emirates, killing all four crew members. * On 2 February 2019, an AW139 operated by Caverton Helicopters carrying

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

's Vice president

Yemi Osinbajo Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo (born 8 March 1957) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, and politician who served as the 14th vice president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he previously served as Attorney ...

crash-landed in

Kabba Kabba is a town in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos. ...

Kogi State Kogi State is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti State, Ekiti and Kwara State, Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Fe ...

. Though there were no casualties, the closeness of the crash to the 2019 presidential election fueled speculation of possible foul play, but Caverton attributed the crash to bad weather. * On 4 July 2019, seven people died when AW139 N32CC crashed off of a small Bahamian island at 2 am. The helicopter was found underwater hours later, about a mile offshore. A billionaire coal baron from

Beckley, West Virginia Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,286 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, ninth-most populous city in th ...

Chris Cline Chris Cline (July 5, 1958 – July 4, 2019) was an American coal baron and philanthropist. He had been the majority owner of Foresight Reserves LP, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Regarded by Bloomberg as the "New King Coal", Cline ...

, his daughter Kameron and five others were onboard headed to Florida due to a medical emergency involving one of the passengers. * On 1 February 2020, a Fukushima prefectural police AW139 helicopter crashed in a rice field in the city of Koriyama, in northeast Japan. Seven of the crew were hurt, including three police officers, two technicians, and two medical workers. The helicopter was carrying a heart for transplant surgery to the

University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...

Hospital. The transplant operation was cancelled due to heart being unable to be recovered in time for a successful transplant. The Fukushima meteorological office issued a strong winds warning to Koriyama at the time of the accident. On impact, the tail and main rotor blades snapped off. * On 23 April 2024, a

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defence operations. RMN's area of operation consists of 603,2 ...

AW139HOM with seven crew onboard collided with an RMN Eurocopter Fennec with three crew at the Royal Malaysian Navy base in

Lumut, Perak Lumut is a coastal town and mukim in Manjung District, Perak, Malaysia, situated about southwest of the state capital city of Ipoh, north from the town of Sitiawan. It is the main gateway to Pangkor Island before established Marina Island Pan ...

. One of the helicopter's rotors clipped the other's, causing both to crash. The AW139 crashed onto the

stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

inside the base. The incident occurred during a training flight in preparation for the 90th Naval Day celebration. All ten crew were killed in the crash.

Specifications (AW139)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Gajetti, Marco and Paolo Maggiore. "Route Profitability for Helicopters." ''Società Editrice Esculapio'', 2013. . * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''

'', Vol. 182, No. 5370, 11–17 December 2012. pp. 40–64. . * Jackson, Paul. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 2003. . * Niccoli, Riccardo. "The Bell Agusta AB 139". ''

Air International ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fir ...

'', September 2001, Vol 61 No 3. . pp. 158–163.

External links

*
MH-139A Grey Wolf on Boeing website

European Aviation Safety Agency Type Certificate Data Sheet

Federal Aviation Authority Type Certificate Data Sheet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agustawestland AW139 2000s international civil utility aircraft 2000s Italian helicopters Search and rescue helicopters Agusta aircraft Twin-turbine helicopters Aircraft first flown in 2001 Single-rotor helicopters Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear