Leonardo announced today that the Portuguese Ministry of Defense has chosen AW119Kx as its new multi-role helicopter in response to its various operational needs. The contract, worth over 20 million euros, provides for the supply of five helicopters to the Portuguese Air Force, with the possibility of options for two more units. Deliveries will be started at the end of the 2018 from the Philadelphia plant in the US and will be completed at the beginning of the 2020. AW119Kx will be used for various operational tasks including training, medical evacuation, troop transport and short sea rescue and rescue, with the possibility of being used also for firefighting missions.
The AW119Kx was chosen after a careful evaluation among several competitors, proving to be the best solution to satisfy the customer's requirements. This contract further strengthens the long collaboration between Leonardo and the Portuguese Ministry of Defense in the helicopter field after the supply of AW101 used by the Italian Air Force for long-term research and rescue, utilities, personnel recovery and protection of fishing activities, and the Super Lynx used by the Navy for naval missions and currently undergoing modernization. The AW119Kx will ensure greater versatility and higher performance than single-engine helicopters currently used in the Portuguese Air Force, as well as extraordinary training skills to the benefit of the crews for the front-line models such as the AW101 and the Super Lynx.
