- Yes
- No
Description: Back in 1978, the Italian company Agusta was developing a new attack helicopter after a request from the Italian army. The company initially took the A109 and tried to modify it, but it turned out that the platform was not able to offer the performance required, so Agusta started to design a completely new platform. The A129 became the first dedicated attack helicopter in Europe. The first prototype flew for the first time on September 15, 1983. All four remaining prototypes were completed between 1983 and 1986, with the last one flying for the first time in March 1986. The first order featured a total of 66 units, but later it was reduced to 60. Due to some delays, the first five units became operational only in 1990. The A129 saw its first war in 1992 in Somalia during a UN special operation where they performed mainly reconnaissance armed with BGM 71 TOW anti-tank missiles and Medusa 81 mm rokets. The helicopter performed extremely well in that operation, but one problem became clear: the lack of a turret to destroy small targets with precision and low cost (since launching a TOW was surely effective against even small targets but the missiles cost a lot more). To increase the performance of the A129, the Italian army took some parts from the A129 international, such as the 20 mm turret and the five-blade rotor. Other improvements were more modern avionics and the capability to carry air-to-air missiles. In 2001, all the A129 were upgraded to the CBT standard. The A129 was also upgraded and will participate in the new war in the future, but this will be the topic of another suggestion. This variant in the specific was the first production model that preceded the A129 CBT. It had less advanced avionic and it was not able to carry air to air missiles.
Why it should be in the game: The Italian TT is very small and this helicopter could be very useful in the line. It’s a little bit strange that this heli is not in game yet since it was the first production variant of the Mangusta. It could go before the CBT since it was the model that preced it.
Specifications:
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Main rotor diameter: 11.9 meters (39 feet)
Tail rotor diameter: 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 inches)
Fuselage length: 12.275 meters (40 feet 3 inches)
Footprint length: 14.29 meters (46 feet 11 inches)
Overall height: 3.35 meters (11 feet )
Empty weight: 2,520 kilograms (5,575 pounds)
MTO weight: 4,100 kilograms (9,040 pounds)
Max speed: 295 km/h
Hover ceiling (in ground effect): 3,705 meters (12,300 feet)
Combat radius: 100 kilometers (62 MI / 54 NMI)
Endurance: 3 hours
Engines, 2x Rolls-Roice Gem 2 MK1004D Turboshaft
Weapons:
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1x 12.7 mm gun pod
2x FN M3P 12.7 mm machinegun pod
2x NC62120 mm gun pod
8x TOW C/D anty tank missile
8x AGM 114B Hellfire
4x AGM-65 Maverick
8x HOT 3 Missile
4x LR25 Orione rocket launcher
76x Hydra-70 M247 Rokets
4x Medusa 81 mm roket launcher
8x Tigrat missile
Sources
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Agusta A-129 “Mangusta” helicopter - development history, photos, technical data
AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta & Airbus Helicopter Tiger
Agusta A129 Mangusta
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/aw129-helicopter/
AW-129 Mangusta - Militarypedia
АГУСТА А. 129 «МАНГУСТА» / ИТАЛИЯ / Книга: Вертолеты Том I / Библиотека / Арсенал-Инфо.рф
Pictures:
