Five countries operating Leonardo AW109 military helicopters

Malaysia has established itself as a hub for aviation activities involving Leonardo helicopters since the early 1980s. Malaysia signed an agreement for twelve EC725 helicopters at the Defense Services Asia exhibition in 2010 and leased four AgustaWestland AW139s from Weststar Aviation in 2021.

Nigeria plans to enhance its counterterrorism capabilities with new military aircraft acquisitions including twelve Leonardo AW-109 multipurpose helicopters. In addition to this procurement plan, Nigeria received several aircraft deliveries in June 2024 aimed at fleet renewal.

South Africa's air force operates at least twenty-five combat-ready AW109 helicopters after selecting them over other models in a competition held in 1999. In recent years, South Africa expanded its use of different variants of the helicopter through agreements with Absolute Aviation Group.

Sweden's challenging terrain necessitates powerful rotors such as those on the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing’s AgustaWestland AW109MUH model known locally as Hkp15B and Hkp15A which support naval operations primarily through surface surveillance roles.

"The M-346 and Trekker acquisitions are key steps towards fleet renewal," stated Nigeria's Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.