The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa; FAP) has received two new Leonardo AW119 MkII Koala utility helicopters. The helicopters were officially received on 22 November at the Maneuver Airfield No1, in Ovar. The helicopters were delivered from Leonardo Helicopters in Italy. The two helicopters are the latest addition to the FAP’s fleet of helicopters, which also includes AW101s and Super Lynx aircraft. The AW119Kx will provide greater versatility and performance compared to the current fleet of ageing single engine rotary wing aircraft, as well as an outstanding training capability for military crews before moving to the AW101, Super Lynx and other frontline types. The FAP has ordered a total of five AW119Kx helicopters from Leonardo. The first three helicopters were delivered in 2019 and 2020, and the remaining two helicopters are expected to be delivered in the near future. The helicopters are being used for a variety of missions, including search and rescue, utility, and personnel recovery.
The Leonardo AW119 Koala, produced by Leonardo since 2016, is an eight-seat utility helicopter powered by a single turboshaft engine produced for the civil market. Introduced as the Agusta A119 Koala prior to the Agusta-Westland merger, it is targeted at operators favoring lower running costs of a single-engine aircraft over the redundancy of a twin. AgustaWestland promote the type as possessing excellent flight qualities with high levels of controllability, maneuverability and inherent safety. The design of the rotorcraft is derived from Agusta’s earlier and highly successful A109 helicopter, differing primarily by being equipped with a single engine, a Pratt & Whitney PT6B-37A turboshaft engine, and using fixed skids in place of the A109’s retractable wheeled landing gear arrangement. The AW119 shares the same cockpit and cabin of the AW109, along with commonality with various other systems, while costing roughly half of the latter’s price tag.
The AW119 Koala has been used for various roles, including utility, emergency medical services (EMS), offshore, law enforcement, and executive transport. A key selling point of the type is its wide-body fuselage, which allows for up to seven passengers to be seated in a three-abreast configuration in the cabin; for the EMS mission, up to two stretchers along with medical attendants and full emergency medical equipment suite can be accommodated, whereas most similar-sized helicopters can only carry one. The unobstructed cabin area and separate baggage compartment can be rapidly reconfigured to suit a range of different missions and roles. Several different cabin interiors may be adopted to accommodate different missions and operations, such as executive/VIP, EMS, and utility options; the cockpit can also be isolated from the cabin. The AW119 has been promoted as possessing the largest cabin in its class; the reported cabin volume is approximately 30% greater than other rotorcraft in its class.
The Portuguese variant, officially known as the AW119Mk.II, is equipped with a Garmin 1000H NXi glass cockpit that integrates virtually all of the avionics in an easy-to-view format, enhancing situational awareness. Designed specifically for the visual flight rules (VFR) helicopter market, data is displayed across a pair of high-resolution multi-function displays (MFDs), which offer a split-screen capability. Fully compatible with night-vision goggles (NVG), the type is also equipped with five communication radios, covering all aeronautical, civilian, maritime and land frequencies. While the AL III primarily flew in support of firefighting missions with the likes of reconnaissance and command and control, the AW119 can be used directly with its ability to carry a team of up to six firefighters and 900lit of water in an underslung Bambi Bucket. The Portuguese Air Force now has seven Koala helicopters in its inventory.
