Free Republic

(Posted in Italian; unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) Although it shares the same general aspect as its predecessor, the Italian army’s future AH-249 scout and escort helicopter is about 50% bigger, and will be powered by the same powerpack as the AW149 battlefield utility helicopter. (IT Army image) The Italian army’s future scout and escort helicopter was unveiled during the Combat Helicopters 2017 conference in Krakow, Poland. Last year, the mysterious AgustaWestland AW249 was unveiled almost by accident last year by Leonardo's then-CEO, Mauro Moretti. Since then, months of silence, with no official or unofficial news. Well, the AW249 is no...

Turkey shortlists Rooivalk attack chopper Cape Town – It is an awe-inspiring sight, watching a nine-ton attack helicopter perform a loop and barrel rolls – the aeronautical equivalent of Luciano Pavarotti performing a perfect pike on the diving board. But this is exactly what Denel Aviation‘s CSH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopter can do – although that is not part of its operational flying capabilities. The Rooivalk was designed to fly in all weather conditions day or night at extremely low level, sometimes at an altitude of 10m, to avoid being detected. Developed in the 1990s, the Rooivalk (“Red Hawk”) is used...