Italy and Israel have reached a significant reciprocal procurement agreement. Under this deal, Israel will acquire five additional Leonardo AW119KX training helicopters, while Italy will purchase an extra batch of Spike anti-tank missiles along with advanced simulators.
This crucial agreement was signed via teleconference on Tuesday, adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, by the Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Eshel, alongside his Italian counterpart, National Armaments Director Nicolò Falsaperna.
This agreement marks the culmination of a larger deal initiated in February 2019, which involved Israel’s procurement of 12 AW119 training helicopters and two simulators. These acquisitions aim to modernize the Israeli Air Force’s Flight School, replacing the aging Bell 206 aircraft that have been in service since the 1970s. Initially, seven helicopters were ordered, with the final five secured in this latest arrangement.
In return, Italy will enhance its capabilities by acquiring more batches of Spike anti-tank missiles, which are manufactured by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Systems. Additionally, simulators tailored for Italian Army helicopters will be developed collaboratively by Italy’s Leonardo and Israel’s Elbit Systems.
Source: Defense-Aerospace.com
