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Italy Leonardo
A129 Mangusta
Western Europe's first indigenously designed attack helicopter, developed by Agusta (now part of Leonardo) for the Italian Army. It formed the design basis for the later Turkish T129 ATAK and remains in Italian service alongside the newer AW249.
In service since 1990 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
264
km/h
510
km range
4,725
m ceiling
1,200
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Italian export-licensed
UAMA authorisation; standard EU/Wassenaar controls.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1990. Status: active · ~60 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 264 km/h Bottom 6% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 245 km/h Stronger than 20% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 510 km Stronger than 28% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 4,725 m Stronger than 35% of helicopters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 11 m/s Stronger than 36% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 20 mm TM197B three-barrel cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 4 Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 1,200 kg Stronger than 40% of helicopters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Crashworthy crew seats with armored cockpit protection
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- radar/laser warning receivers, chaff, flares
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 14.29 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 3.35 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 2,530 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 4,600 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Rolls-Royce Gem 2 turboshaft, 890 hp each
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 890 hp Stronger than 19% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Telespazio/Officine Galileo sighting system, night-vision-compatible cockpit
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 60 Stronger than 25% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 18% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Leonardo and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Leonardo A129 Mangusta? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta has a maximum speed of 264 km/h.
What is the range of the Leonardo A129 Mangusta? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta has a maximum range of 510 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Leonardo A129 Mangusta? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta can carry up to 1,200 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Leonardo A129 Mangusta weigh? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta has a combat weight of 4,600 kg.
How many crew does the Leonardo A129 Mangusta require? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Leonardo A129 Mangusta? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta's primary weapon is the 20 mm TM197B three-barrel cannon.
What engine does the Leonardo A129 Mangusta use? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta is powered by the 2x Rolls-Royce Gem 2 turboshaft, 890 hp each.
What is the Leonardo A129 Mangusta used for? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta is a helicopter typically used for close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the Leonardo A129 Mangusta? +
The Leonardo A129 Mangusta is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Leonardo A129 Mangusta cost? +
Leonardo A129 Mangusta: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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