AgustaWestland A 129 CBT Mangusta

Type (Muster)
Light attack helicopter (leichter Kampfhubschrauber)

Country (Land)
Italy (Italien)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
AgustaWestland
Via Giovanni Agusta 520
21017 Cascina Costa die Samarate
Italy

Phone: 0039-331/22-9769
Fax: 0039-331/22-9984
Web: www.agusta.com

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 in separate tandem cockpits. Gunner/co-pilot sits in front, with pilot aft.

Weapons (Bewaffnung): The A 129 CBT features a 20 mm cannon in a nose turret. It has four hardpoints on ist stub wings, stressed for a 300 kg load each (but maximum of 500 kg each side). Weapon options include:

8 x TOW, ITOW or TOW 2/2A anti-tank missiles
2 x 7,62 mm or 20 mm gun pods
2 – 4 x rocket launchers (7 or 19 each, 70 or 81 mm calibre)
4 x Stinger AAMs

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Rolls-Royce Gem 1004 turboshaft
Power (Leistung): 657 kW for take-off and 615 kW (825 shp) for maximum contiunuous or 704 kW for contingency operations (2,5 minutes) or 759 kW for 20 seconds. The transmission is uprated to take 1268 kW (1700 shp)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Fuselage length (Rumpflänge): 12,27 m
Length overall, rotor turning (Länge über drehende Rotoren): 14,29 m
Height (Höhe): 3,35 m to top of rotor head
Max. fuselage width (Rumpfbreite): 0,95 m
Wing span (Spannweite): 3,20 m
Width over TOW-Pods (Breite über TOW-Behälter): 3,60 m
Wheel track (Spurweite): 2,23 m
Main rotor diameter (Hauptrotordurchmesser): 11,90 m
Main rotor disk (Hauptrotorkreisfläche): 111,22 sq m
Tail-rotor diameter (Heckrotordurchmesser): 2,32 m
Tail rotor disc (Heckrotorkreisfläche): 4,23 m

Weights (Massen)
Empty equipped weight (Leermasse): 2529 kg
Maximum ordnance (max. Waffenzuladung): 1200 kg
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 750 kg internal
Take-off weight, normal mission (normale Startmasse): 3950 kg
Max. take-off weight (Max. Startmasse): 4600 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Dash speed (Höchstgeschwindigkeit): 294 km/h with TOW pods at 2000 m
Max. level speed (max. Horizontalgeschw.): 250 km/h at sea level
Max. rate of climb (max. Steigrate): 612 m/s at sea level
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 4725 m
Hover ceiling (Schwebeflughöhe)
- out of ground effect (ohne Bodeneffekt): 1890 m
- in ground effect (im Bodeneffekt): 3140 m
Combat radius (Einsatzradius): 100 km with eight TOW and 20 min fuel reserve, 90 min loiter in target area
Endurance (Einsatzdauer): 3 h 5 min
g-limits (Lastvielfache): +3,5/-0,5 g

Customers (Kunden)
The Italian Army has a total requirement for 60 Mangustas. Of these, the last 15 are built as A 129 CBT. The others will be brought up to this standard. Current operating bases are Rimini/Miramare (493 Squadrone Elicotteri da Attacco), Casarsa (7th Attack Helicopter Regiment „Vega“) and Viterbo (Army Aviation Centre).

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
Eurocopter Tiger

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The A 129 CBT (combattimento) is a further developed version of the A 129 Mangusta. The main improvements are:

a five-blade main rotor (instead of four blades)
an uprated transmission that can absorb 1270 kW instead of 970 kW
take-off weight increased to 4600 kg from 4100 kg
Lockheed Martin/Otobreda TM 197B 20 mm cannon in a nose turret. The ammunition is carried in a long fairing alongside the fuselage
Stinger AAMs
revised cockpit layouts
updated navigation system with integrated GPS
upgraded defensive aids

History (Geschichte)
The fifth A 129 prototype (MMX598) was converted to the CBT configuration by 1997.
A contract for 15 helicopters in the CBT configuration was awarded in 1999.
At the end of 2001, the Italian Army awarded a contract to Agusta to also retrofit the 45 A 129s currently in service to the CBT configuration.
The first A 129 CBT was handed over during a special ceremony held at Agusta´s Vergiate facility on 25 October 2002.
The A129 programme began in March 1978. The first flight of five development aircraft was on 11 September 1983. Deliveries of the first 45 helicopters commenced in October 1990 and were completed in1996.
Agusta is also offering the A129 International for export, fitted with LHTEC T800-LHT-800 turboshafts of 996 kW power each. No customers have been found so far.

Last updated 29 November 2002

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