AW609 tiltrotor completes ship trials with Italian navy
NewsJune 27, 2024
ROME, Italy. Leonardo's AW609 tiltrotor successfully completed its first ship trial campaign with support from the Italian Navy, the company announced in a statement.
The AW609 AC4 aircraft, representative of the final production configuration, conducted the trials from April 3-12, relocating from Leonardo’s facility in Cascina Costa to Maristaer Grottaglie Naval Base. The tiltrotor demonstrated its approach, stable deck landing, and touchdown capabilities on the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, 20 nautical miles offshore, the statement reads.
The test campaign included synthetic environment simulations using the AW609 development/engineering simulator, which helped assess and refine the aircraft's performance in more than 15 different conditions, the company says.
A joint working group established in 2022, comprising Leonardo, the Italian Navy, the Italian Army, and Guardia di Finanza, carried out the trials to evaluate the potential of tiltrotor technologies for government services.
