An Agusta-Westland A139 helicopter from the Search and Rescue Training Unit (SARTU) at RAF Valley is pictured on a training exercise over the Welsh coastline near Anglesey.
The Agusta-Westland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter developed and produced principally by Agusta-Westland. It is marketed at several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, fire fighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol. In addition to AgustaWestland's own manufacturing facilities in Italy and Britain, the AW139 is produced in Canada.
The AW139 was originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Heavy Industries and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, it was redesignated the AW139 when Bell withdrew from the project. Since entering service in 2003, the AW139 has become one of AgustaWestland's most influential products; it has been subsequently developed into two enlarged medium-lift helicopters, the military-orientated AW149 and the AW189 for the civil market.
