.jpg) |
|
| The Agusta A129 Mangusta over Lugo, Emilia-Romagna | |
| Role | Attack helicopter |
|---|---|
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Agusta |
| First flight | 11 September 1983 |
| Introduction | 1990 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Italian Army |
| Number built | 60 (+7 prototypes and demonstrators) |
| Developed into | TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK |
The A129 has undergone several combat deployments, seeing use in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It has proven well suited to operating in hot climates, as well as quite flexible in the field. The original 60 rotorcraft have been upgraded multiple times since entering service with the Italian Army; improvements have included compatibility with additional munitions, new targeting systems, improved avionics, better data-handling, and a more powerful transmission. Various improvements and export models have been proposed, including dedicated naval and reconnaissance variants. The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK derivative has been developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries in cooperation with AgustaWestland for the Turkish Army as well as other services and export customers. Since 2017, work has been underway on a larger successor to the A129 for the Italian Army, the Leonardo Helicopters AW249The Agusta A129 Mangusta (English: Mongoose) is an attack helicopter originally designed and produced by Italian company Agusta. It is the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Europe. It has continued to be developed by AgustaWestland, the successor company to Agusta. It has been exclusively operated by the Italian Army, which introduced the type to service during 1990.
.jpg)
In 1972, the Italian Army began forming a requirement for a light observation and anti-tank helicopter; one prominent factor in shaping this requirement was the need to address the threat posed by the extensive military assets in operation with the Warsaw Pact countries and those of the Soviet Union. Around the same time as the Italian efforts were underway, the West German military had also identified a similar need. The two nations' parallel requirements ultimately led to a joint project being initiated between the Italian company Agusta and West German company MBB; however, this cooperative effort did not last long, and was dissolved shortly after preliminary work had been undertaken. Agusta had initially studied the development of a combat-oriented derivative of their existing A109 helicopter, however they decided to proceed with the development of a more ambitious helicopter design.
Ceiling
Combat Range
Aircraft Speed
Max Crew
On 10 February 2018, during the Turkish military operation in Afrin, a Turkish Army T129 was shot down by Kurdish YPG anti-aircraft fire in Kırıkhan district of Hatay Province; the loss was confirmed by the Turkish Armed Forces and President Erdoğan
On 22 April 2014, TAI formally delivered the first serial production T129 to the Turkish Land Forces.
A total of nine T129s of the first batch were delivered to the Turkish Land Forces after completing qualification testing
