Indonesia Signs Agreement with Leonardo to Buy AW-149 Helicopter

The Indonesian Army plans to purchase AW149 multi-role helicopters for the needs of the country's Navy.

Leonardo announced the signing of a letter of intent between the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, Leonardo and PT ESystem Solutions.

The document also provides for the development of local capabilities in the areas of technical support, maintenance, helicopter modernization, and personnel training.

AW149 helicopters are planned to be used to perform search and rescue operations both from land bases and from ships.

The program is part of the modernization of the Indonesian Navy and is intended to strengthen their emergency response capabilities.

The signing of the letter of intent was a continuation of the cooperation between Indonesia and Leonardo following the launch of the M-346 F Block 20 light fighter procurement program.

The AW149 is a multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of 8.6 tons, capable of carrying up to 19 servicemen or about 2.8 tons of cargo, reaching speeds of up to 313 km/h and flying at a distance of up to 958 km.