Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica company AgustaWestland has unveiled the latest version of the AW101 medium-lift helicopter at the Paris Air Show.

The AW101 includes more efficient main rotor blades, powerful engines, a cockpit display system and an up-rated tail rotor.

All these upgrades ensure the helicopter flies faster with more payload, while improving mission capabilities and enhancing crew effectiveness in the cockpit.

The helicopter has flown at speeds of up to 198kt and at altitudes of 13,000ft in the flight test programme.

The development of the helicopter was jointly undertaken by AugustaWestland and the British aircraft manufacturer Westland Aircraft.