Aviation / Aerospace

Leonardo AWHERO

Rotary Unmanned Air System (RUAS) [ 2024 ]

The relatively compact Leonardo AWHER RUAS originates from a proven pedigree and offers unsurpassed versality in multiple environments.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/08/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from official Leonardo-Finmeccanica marketing materials.

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Leonardo-Finmeccanica of Italy has thrown its hat into the growing Rotary Unmanned Air System (RUAS) market with its new AWHERO. The type is billed as a multi-mission solution for military, industry, and civilian marketplaces, capable of operating in daytime and low-light-level conditions over land and water. This provides the product with unsurpassed versatility in sortie types coupled with economy and Leonardo reliability.

As with other Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), the AWHERO is controlled by way of a ground-based operator through a Ground Control Station (GCS) that is certified NATO compliant. The air system provides real-time feeds and data to the ground operator for real-time decision-making. The payload is of modular design and built around the carrying of various sensors and processing systems for generally centered on the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) and data-collecting roles. Electro-Optical (EO) and InfraRed (IR) imaging is supported and optics fits were positioned at the "chin" mounting on the airframe with heavier loads reserve for side-mounting.

Outwardly, the design follows accepted rotary-wing design standards including an overhead-mounted main rotor blade, offset tail rotor unit (facing port side), and a fixed, four-point landing skid assembly. This allows the relatively compact helicopter to be operated from confined spaces such as urban environments and mountains to open fields and the deck of warships.

Dimensions include an overall length of 12.1feet, an overall height of 3.10 feet, a rotor diameter of 13.1 feet. The aircraft has an empty weight of 120 kilograms and an MTOW rating of 200 kilograms. It can fly for six hours before refueling up to altitudes of 14,000 feet at speeds up to 90 knots.

Beyond its obvious military value, the AWHERO can be effective in humanitarian mission sets as well as Search and Rescue (SAR) operations over land or at sea. It can also serve as a communications relay for other aircraft including other UASs.©MilitaryFactory.com

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October 2021 - The Leonardo AWHERO has received Italian military certification.

Specifications

Service Year

2024

Origin

Italy

Status

IN-DEVELOPMENT
Program in Progress.

Crew

0
UNMANNED

Production

1
UNITS

Leonardo-Finmeccanica - Italy

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Italy (probable)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.

✓ Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).

✓ Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.

✓ Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.

✓ Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.

VERTICAL TAKE-OFF / LANDING (VTOL)

Series has a tactical capability to take-off and / or land vertically, a quality commonly associated with helicopters.

RADAR-CAPABLE

Houses, or can house (through specialized variants), radar equipment for searching, tracking, and engagement of enemy elements.

RUGGED AIRFRAME

Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.

EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE

Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.

MARITIME OPERATION

Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.

UNMANNED OPERATION

Design features ability to fly sans pilot, actions controlled onboard through programming and / or ground-based operator.

AUTONOMOUS OPERATION

Design features autonomous flight operations made possible through onboard artificial intelligence or pre-programming.

CAMERA EQUIPMENT

Payload supports photographic equipment providing still and / or real-time image / video results.

Length

12.1 ft
(3.70 m)

Width/Span

13.1 ft
(4.00 m)

Height

3.9 ft
(1.20 m)

Empty Wgt

265 lb
(120 kg)

MTOW

441 lb
(200 kg)

Wgt Diff

+176 lb
(+80 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Leonardo AWHERO production variant)

Installed: 1 x Conventional engine driving four-bladed main rotor and two-bladed tail rotor (facing port).

Max Speed

103 mph
(165 kph | 89 kts)

Cruise Speed

87 mph
(140 kph | 76 kts)

Max. Speed Diff

+16 mph
(+25 kph | 13 kts)

Ceiling

14,009 ft
(4,270 m | 3 mi)

Range

621 mi
(1,000 km | 1,852 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Leonardo AWHERO production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

None. Mission payload restricted to optics (chin blister) and cargo loads (fuselage sides).

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

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Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

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Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

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Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery

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Image from official Leonardo-Finmeccanica marketing materials.