Leonardo Helicopters appears to have secured a vital export deal for its AW149, with the 9t-class rotorcraft selected by Egypt for a requirement of around 20 aircraft.
Cairo intends to use the helicopters for land-based and ship-borne troop transport and search and rescue missions.
Leonardo Helicopters
Little information was immediately available on the detail of the contract, but it is understood that Leonardo overcame competition from the NH Industries (NHI) NH90 for the deal.
The NHI consortium comprises Airbus Helicopters, Fokker and Leonardo.
Launched in 2006, the AW149 has struggled to gain traction in the market, attracting only a solitary five-unit order from the Royal Thai Army.
Although there has been interest in the programme from the Italian military, no order has yet materialised.
Leonardo declined to comment.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
