Italian Air Force becomes the launch customer of Piaggio Aerospace’s P.1HH Unmanned Aerial System.

26 February 2015,

 

Abu Dhabi, UAE: The Italian Air Force will be the launch customer of the P.1HH HammerHead Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), a state-of-the-art multipurpose UAS, designed and developed by Piaggio Aerospace.

This decision was announced at IDEX 2015 in Abu Dhabi, in presence of the Italian Air Force Chief, Lt. Gen. Pasquale Preziosa. Piaggio Aerospace will deliver three UAS systems – 6 air vehicles and 3 ground control stations – complete with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) configuration to the Italian Air Force in early 2016.

Carlo Logli, CEO of Piaggio Aerospace, said: “We are truly delighted about this decision. It confirms the strong partnership we have with the Italian Air Force and showcases the P.1HH as one of the most advanced systems to enter the market. We are grateful for the continued support of our partner Finmeccanica-Selex ES, the Italian Ministry of Defence, our shareholders and the valuable teamwork with the Italian hi-tech industry”.

The P.1HH platform is a derivative of the very successful Piaggio Aerospace P.180, the fastest twin turboprop aircraft in the world, with a proven service record of over 20 years and more than 800,000 flight hours. The P.1HH HammerHead is designed with a variety of operational capabilities that can be tailored to specific customer requirements, enabling the UAS to perform a wide range of ISR missions.

Developed in partnership with Finmeccanica-Selex ES, the P.1HH HammerHead UAS is currently going through a comprehensive development and certification flight test campaign, conducted at the Trapani Birgi Italian Air Force base.

-ENDS-

About Piaggio Aerospace:

Piaggio Aerospace designs, develops, builds and maintains aircraft, aircraft engines and structural components. Technology and a continuous commitment to research and development combined with innovative design and style, drive the development of Piaggio Aerospace, a main player on the world market for executive planes and special mission aircraft, for aircraft security and reconnaissance systems, and aircraft engines. The company operates from the aerospace centre of excellence at Villanova d’Albenga (Italy), one of the most advanced aerospace manufacturing plants in the world.

Piaggio Aerospace is implementing a strategic plan oriented towards developing business in response to new market demands. The company’s new vision aims to maintain and strengthen its role of main player in business aviation and, at the same time, become a key player in the sector of defence and security.

Piaggio Aerospace shareholders are Mubadala Development Company, an Abu Dhabi-based strategic investment and development company, which holds 98.05% of the capital stock, and Piero Ferrari who holds 1.95%

Media Contact:

Rossella Daverio
SVP, Communications
Tel. +39 335 7027207
rdaverio@piaggioaerospace.it

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