Ecuador purchases seven AW139M Helicopters

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense (MDE) announced on 12 June 2026 the acquisition of seven Leonardo AW139M multipurpose helicopters. (Erich Samueth Cadavid)

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Defence (MDE) announced the acquisition of seven Leonardo AW139M multipurpose helicopters for USD209.8 million.

The MDE's acquisition aims to strengthen the mobility, transport, and operational support capabilities of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces (FFAA), the MDE said in the 12 June announcement. The agreement between the MDE and Leonardo also specifies that one of the helicopters will be a VIP variant designated for presidential transport.

According to the MDE, the acquisition responds to an operational requirement developed in 2026 by the Joint Command of the Armed Forces.

According to the established schedule, the helicopters will be delivered in three phases between December 2027 and May 2028, with the presidential VIP helicopter (at a unit cost of USD26.5 million) included in the first delivery.

The seven AW139Ms will be configured to the specifications and requirements of the Armed Forces, incorporating an eight cubic metre cabin capable of transporting up to twelve fully equipped personnel, in addition to two crew members.

The aircraft will feature Level IV armour capable of withstanding impacts from 7.62 x 51 mm ammunition and have a flight endurance of up to five hours.

According to Leonardo, their AW139Ms integrate SkyTrac, an automatically deployable Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR), Automatic Direction Finder (ADF), Global Positioning System (GPS), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), Enhanced Terrain Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), Flight Management System (FMS), and Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), as well as weather radar, retractable landing gear, and impact absorption systems to increase crew survivability.