Two options have been considered: to "exploit the current Mangusta" or acquire a new attack helicopter derived from the AW149.
The army is looking for enhancements in speed, endurance, altitude, situational awareness, human-machine interface and information exchange/command and control. It is also looking to decrease the handling and workload burdens.
The upgrade timeframe “depends on money”, but it is hoped it will be in service by around 2020.
The Italian army expects a new tactical UAV capability to be delivered by June 2015 when the Textron Systems Shadow 200 joins its inventory to complement the Mangusta helicopter.
flightglobal
