The delivery of the other nine aircraft, already acquired by the A.M. to ensure the search and rescue service, will be completed during 2012. The ceremony was held in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General of the Air Force Giuseppe Bernardis, the Commander of the Air Force, General of the Air Force Tiziano Tosi, the Commander of the Logistics Department, General of the Air Force Maurizio Lodovisi, the Director General of Aeronautical Activities of the Department for Civil Protection, General of the Air Force Gianfranco Trincae, and finally, the Commander of the 15th Squadron, Colonel Lodovico Chianese; on behalf of Agusta Westland, the company of Finmeccanica that produces the aircraft, intervened the General Director Daniele Romiti. General Bernardis expressed his satisfaction with the new vehicle, whose entry into service “
It comes at the end of a long, lucid process that began more than ten years ago.
This is a machine that puts us on the same level as the best operators in the field of Air Rescue. – stated General Bernardis – […]
which will allow the 15th Squadron to continue providing effectively the rescue service throughout the country, in accordance with a tradition of the Department that has now become established”. Recalling the financial problems that afflict the entire national system, and therefore also the Armed Forces and the Air Force, General Bernardis concluded as follows:”
We must not forget the future; […] investing in powerful means like this is a pragmatic choice that will allow us to achieve much more with much less”, Thanks to the increased capabilities of these machines and the greater specialization of the personnel who will operate them.
The first machine, following the certification and testing activities carried out at Ditta and supervised by the Directorate General for Aeronautical Armaments (ARMAEREO), was formally accepted and delivered to the Air Force at the end of 2011; the delivery of the other nine units, also destined for the 15th Squadron at Cervia and the related SAR centers, will be completed during the course of the year.
The AW-139, in its version for the Italian Air Force, is called HH, Hospital Helicopter, and is a medium-category twin-turbine helicopter produced by Agusta Westland, which has been selected by the Armed Forces to complement and gradually replace the current HH-3F and HH-212 lines, which have been in service for over 30 years in the Italian Air Force. The HH-139A is a solution identified on the market to continue to effectively provide air search and rescue services, both for the institutional tasks of possible recovery of crews and military personnel in difficulty, and for community service activities in the event of emergency medical flights, natural disasters and major national events.
As this is an already tested helicopter that is in service with other national civil and military entities (Guardia di Finanza, Guardia Costiera, various local authorities), the HH-139A will allow for significant synergies – training, logistical and above all operational – in inter-departmental and inter-agency contexts in the delicate and complex field of aerial rescue, fundamental for successful intervention when requested, often in prohibitive conditions, at night, in bad weather, in particularly inaccessible and isolated areas.
The HH-139 is a helicopter capable of operating both day and night (NVG – Night Vision Goggles capability), in adverse weather conditions and in particularly challenging areas, even from unprepared and unequipped surfaces. The helicopter is also capable of operating in dusty environments, snowy areas and in a marine environment.
The helicopter is extremely versatile; in just 30 minutes it is possible to change the internal configuration, from that for air rescue (primary SAR version: 5 passengers + 1 stretcher) to that for emergency air and medical transport (MEDEVAC version: from 2 to 4 stretchers) or passenger transport (UTILITY version: up to 14 passengers).
In parallel with the acquisition of the machines, training activities for the crews and specialist personnel of the Armed Forces began through courses and ground-based simulator activities at the Agusta Westland Training Center in Sesto Calende, as well as flight activities on a prototype of the same Ditta aircraft.
Main technical characteristics of the HH-139A
Maximum length16.65 m
Maximum width (horizontal plane)4.22 m
Rotary diameter13.8 m
MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight)6,800 kg
Maximum cruising speed165 kts (306 km/h)
Engines: No. 2 Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67C Turboshafts with FADEC Tgr Emilia Romagna of 09/03/2012 GREmilia Romagna of 09/03/2012
