Agusta

Agusta is an Italian aerospace company renowned for its rotorcraft and, historically, for fixed-wing aircraft. It was founded in 1923 by Count Giovanni Agusta in Cascina Costa, near Samarate in Lombardy. The firm began as an aircraft manufacturer but became a leading producer of helicopters, developing both in-house designs and licensed models, including the Agusta-Bell AB 47.

In the postwar era, Agusta expanded its helicopter program and introduced a range of civil and military rotorcraft. The company produced several widely used models, such as the light A109 and the A129 Mangusta, the latter entering service in the 1980s as one of the first all-Italian designed attack helicopters.

In 2000, Agusta’s helicopter activities merged with Westland Helicopters to form AgustaWestland. The combined company became part of Finmeccanica, which later rebranded as Leonardo. Under Leonardo, the rotorcraft division continues to operate, with the Agusta name used in historical contexts and as part of the broader Leonardo Helicopters lineage.

Today, Leonardo Helicopters markets a range of civil and military rotorcraft derived from the Agusta legacy. Notable current products include the AW139, AW169, AW189, and AW101 families, as well as the Mangusta lineage in the light attack segment. The name Agusta remains closely associated with Italian aerospace heritage and with a long-standing contribution to global helicopter development.