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Italy Leonardo
AW101 Merlin
Three-engine medium-lift helicopter jointly developed by Italy's Leonardo (Agusta) and the UK's Westland for naval anti-submarine warfare, troop transport and VIP roles. It serves as the Italian Navy's primary shipborne ASW helicopter and the UK's Merlin, alongside export sales to Japan, Denmark and Norway.
In service since 1999 · 9 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
309
km/h
1,389
km range
4,575
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $60,000,000, Approximate unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Italian export-licensed
UAMA authorisation; standard EU/Wassenaar controls.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Established · 9 operators
In service since 1999. Status: active · ~220 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$150M – $210M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
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.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the AW101 Merlin can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
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. | 309 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 1,389 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 4,575 m |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 22.8 m |
|---|---|
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 6.62 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 10,500 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 15,600 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 4 |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 30 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | 3× Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 3 |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turboshaft |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | Search-water 2000 surveillance radar |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | dipping sonar, sonobuoy processor, FLIR |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $60,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 220 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 9 |
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-64D Apache Longbow Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Leonardo AW101 Merlin? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin has a maximum speed of 309 km/h.
What is the range of the Leonardo AW101 Merlin? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin has a maximum range of 1,389 km.
How much does the Leonardo AW101 Merlin weigh? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin has a combat weight of 15,600 kg.
How many crew does the Leonardo AW101 Merlin require? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin requires a crew of 4.
What engine does the Leonardo AW101 Merlin use? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin is powered by the 3× Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft.
What is the Leonardo AW101 Merlin used for? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin is a helicopter typically used for anti ship.
How many countries operate the Leonardo AW101 Merlin? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin is operated by 9 countries.
How much does the Leonardo AW101 Merlin cost? +
The Leonardo AW101 Merlin has an approximate unit cost of 60,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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