The Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) has received the final of 17 Leonardo HH-139B helicopters intended for combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions.
The 17th HH-139B helicopter was delivered on January 31, 2022, nearly 14 months after the first. The Italian Air Force has a fleet of 30 HH-139 helicopters, with 13 HH-139As delivered between 2012 and 2014 and 17 HH-139Bs delivered between November 2020 and January 2022.
In December 2019, the procurement of the new HH-139Bs was approved for a total expenditure of EUR408 million (USD453 million), which included training, documentation, and support. In late March 2020, a formal order for EUR311.3 million was made with Leonardo, to be spent between 2020 and 2024, including initial support and training services.
In the CSAR, medical evacuation, firefighting, and slow-mover interceptor missions, the HH-139-series helicopters will work alongside the service’s six HH-101A helicopters.
