AW149 / AW189
ICAO A189Leonardo's medium twin in military and offshore forms, and Poland's new battlefield helicopter. Live AW149 and AW189 positions.
Flying right now
Live · 30s
No AW149 / AW189 is transmitting ADS-B at the moment.
Military aircraft are not obliged to broadcast, so this happens regularly. The count refreshes every thirty seconds.
Airframe
- Manufacturer
- Leonardo
- Role
- Medium transport helicopter
- Class
- H2T — Helicopter, 2 turboshaft engines
- Crew
- 2
- First flight
- 13 November 2009
- In service
- 2014
Operators airborne
Nothing of this type is up right now.
About the AW149 / AW189
These are two versions of one design. The AW189 is the civil offshore transport, widely used to move crews to oil platforms and for search and rescue; the AW149 is the military variant, with ballistic protection, defensive systems and provision for weapons.
Poland is the significant military customer, having ordered thirty-two AW149s to be built at Leonardo's plant in Świdnik as its new battlefield helicopter. Egypt, Thailand and others fly the 189 in government and rescue roles.
On this feed the type appears in small numbers, often as a coastguard or government aircraft rather than a strictly military one.
Callsign prefixes
- PLF
- Polish Air Force
- RESCUE
- Search and rescue tasking
- IAM
- Italian government flights
How to recognise it
- —A medium twin with a five-blade main rotor and retractable wheels.
- —A long, clean fuselage with a rounded nose and large sliding cabin doors.
- —Larger than an AW139 and visibly more modern in line than an AW101.
Common questions
+ What is the difference between the AW149 and AW189?
The 149 is the military version with protection, defensive aids and weapons provision; the 189 is the civil offshore and rescue aircraft. They share the airframe and this ADS-B designator.
+ Who is buying the AW149?
Poland is the largest customer with thirty-two on order, assembled domestically at Świdnik. Egypt and Thailand operate related versions.
+ Is it related to the AW139?
It is the larger member of the same family. The 139 is the medium twin that came first; the 149 and 189 are a size class above it.