AW119M Koala helicopters for Israel
On 6 April 2022, the US Division of Leonardo Helicopters received a USD 29 million modification contract from the US Army Contracting Command for additional work on the AW119M Koala training helicopter for the Heyl Ha'Avir (IAF, Israeli Air Force).
In February 2019, Israel announced that it had ordered seven AW119Ms and in September 2020 five more AW119Ms were ordered under a reciprocal agreement with Italy whereby Israel provided Rafael Spike missiles and Elbit simulators. Leonardo Helicopters received a USD 38 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract for the first seven helicopters in December 2019.
The new helicopters will replace the Bell OH-58B Saifan helicopters operated by the Flight Training School (FTS) Vihiys Latisah, part of the IAF Flight Academy at Hatzerim air base. According to the Scramble military database, the IAF still has nineteen OH-58Bs in its active inventory, although the majority of them have not been seen for the last twelve years.
It has not been reported when the first Koalas will arrive at Hatzerim.
Photo (just illustrative) via Leonardo Helicopters