AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
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First Agusta A 129 CBT delivered to the Italian Army

On October 25, 2002, the first Agusta A 129 Mangusta CBT (Combat), the new version of the Italian attack helicopter, was officially handed over to the Italian Army. Ten. Gen. Gianfranco Ottogalli, Italian Army Chief of Staff and the Agusta top management took part to the event, set up at the Agusta factory in Vergiate.
The A 129 CBT incorporates various improvements aimed to satisfy the emerging operational requirements. In December 1999, the Italian Army signed a contract with Agusta for the procurement of the last batch of 15 A 129s, comprised in the initial order for 60 aircraft, in a new configuration based on the experience gained during a number of missions under the UN banner. A retrofit programme to the CBT standard will start soon for the 45 Mangustas now in service with the 7th Helicopter Regiment, a part of the new "Friuli" Aeromobile Brigade based in Rimini, and with the 5th Regiment based at the Casarsa della Delizia airport.
While the original Mangusta was mainly aimed to scout and anti-tank missions, the CBT version is fitted with a Lockheed Martin/Oto Melara TM197B 20 mm cannon in nose turret (with the aiming system connected to the pilot helmet), a five-blade main rotor, a state of the art FLIR and it is integrated with the Raytheon FIM-92A Stinger air-to-air missile, thus giving the weapon system a far more operational capability and mission flexibility. The above improvements are typical of the A 129 International, the export variant, which offers also the new and more powerful Honeywell LHTEC T800-LHT800 engines and new observation and targeting sensors for the Boeing AGM-114K Hellfire II anti-tank missile. A total of five A 129 CBTs will be delivered to the Italian Cavalleria dell'Aria before the end of the current year. The second A 129 CBT is already undergoing flight test activity.
After the formal part of the ceremony, the crew of Gruppo di Lavoro A 129, the dedicated Italian Army development team, performed a very effective flight demonstration of the new Mangusta. Agusta set up also a comprehensive and interesting display of their products. The exhibed helicopter models ranged from the EH Industries CH-149 Cormorant for the Canadian Forces to the A 119 Koala, from the succesful A 109E Power to the very new AB 139, from the prototype A 109 LUH for South Africa to an Italian Coast Guard AB 412. Also on display there were the eighth and last EH 101 ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) for the Italian Navy and the first EH 101 versione ASVW/E (Anti-Submarine and Vessel Warfare, Enhanced) of a batch of four aircraft ordered by the same Service.

Agusta A 129 CBT EI-951 MM81421, first Mangusta helicopter of this version delivered to the Italian Army, during the hand over ceremony at Vergiate, Italy, October 25, 2002. (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, October 2002)