On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the second day of the BSDA 2026 (Black Sea Defense, Aerospace and Security) defense industry exhibition in Bucharest, Italian company Leonardo and Romanian state-owned company Romaero signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on establishing support capabilities for AW139 medium multirole helicopters, should they be purchased by Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
AW139 / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The agreement, aimed at assessing possible cooperation, primarily provides for the establishment in Romania of comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
Thanks to this agreement, the partners are ideally positioned to provide high-quality in-country MRO services, an essential enabler for meeting the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ requirement for new multirole helicopters.
It should be recalled that Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to purchase seven medium-heavy multirole helicopters with a takeoff weight of 4.5–9 tons and five light-medium helicopters with a takeoff weight of 3.2–7 tons, in response to growing community needs for further enhancing safety, saving lives and protecting the environment. These will complement the planned fleet of up to 12 S-70M Black Hawk International helicopters; eight have been ordered so far, all of which have been delivered. The new rotorcraft are to be financed under the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) loan instrument.
In this context, Leonardo is offering the twin-engine AW139 helicopter, the undisputed global and European leader in its category across a broad spectrum of missions. The company can boast sales of more than 1,500 aircraft to 300 operators in over 90 countries, with more than 1,300 in service worldwide, operating in the most diverse and demanding operational conditions. For example, the AW139 has been selected or is already operated by users in Bulgaria, Spain, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Slovenia and Croatia.
If the AW139 is selected as the new helicopter for Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, cooperation between Leonardo and Romaero, one of the country’s largest MRO service providers, which also has established research, development and production capabilities in the aerospace sector, will deliver numerous benefits in terms of sovereign technical support and fleet management, expertise, and the continued development of professional skills and employment.
AW139 fuselages from Poland
Importantly, AW139 fuselages are manufactured at the helicopter fuselage development center at WSK PZL-Świdnik, owned by Leonardo Helicopters. Currently, about 74% of the man-hours involved in AW139 production ‒ the share accounted for by fuselage manufacturing ‒ are carried out in Świdnik. In addition, it is worth noting that the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C turboshaft engines, each rated at 1,252 kW (1,676 hp) and equipped with FADEC electronic control, which power the helicopters, are supplied by the US manufacturer, which also has a facility in Poland ‒ Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów, where around 80% of the parts are produced.
The AW139 is 16.66 m long, has a main rotor diameter of 13.8 m and a maximum takeoff weight of 7,000 kg. Its maximum speed is 306 km/h, service ceiling 6,096 m and range up to 1,061 km. The helicopter can carry 15 passengers or 10 fully equipped soldiers in its passenger cabin, which is 2.7 m long, 2.1 m wide and 1.42 m high, with a volume of 8 cu m. In terms of avionics, the cockpit features four 8 x 10-inch color LCD displays, along with an additional fifth display that can be used to show imagery from a visible-light and infrared camera turret or a digital map. The cockpit equipment is compatible with night-vision goggles.
The AW139 features a four-axis automatic flight control system supported by radio-navigation and GPS systems, expanded with SAR and hover modes, a flight management system with an enhanced vision system and a 360-degree laser obstacle warning system, a communications suite comprising two VHF radios and an intercom, navigation systems including dual VOR and DME ADF, GPS navigation, digital maps and a tactical data display, identification and enhanced vision systems, a cockpit voice and flight data recorder, a health and usage monitoring system, and an electronic standby instrument system. The avionics are resistant to HIRF/LEMP/EMC effects.
The AW139 is equipped with a hoist, self-sealing fuel tanks, a flare and chaff dispenser, an active protection system (RWR, LWR, MWS, DIRCM), surveillance, search and weather radar, an electro-optical turret with an infrared sensor and laser rangefinder/designator, and a searchlight.
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