Following the failure of a brief joint Italo-German development project for a new light attack helicopter, the Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta began independently working on a design by the late 1970s. Although initial plans involved the development of a combat-oriented version of the existing A-109 type, the decision soon changed to develop a completely new and more ambitious design that would become the A129.

In September 1983, the first prototype of the A129 was built and test flown. Tests were continued throughout the mid 1980s, while the Italian military, convinced of the A129’s qualities, placed an order for 60 units while testing was still ongoing. During this time, the A129 was also considered to become the basis for a multinational European common attack helicopter design, though this never materialized.

Production and delivery of the A129 Mangusta began in the early 1990s, with Agusta beginning to fulfill the original order for 60 machines. During development and production, several more variants of the Mangusta were created, including a special Turkish export model.

Since its introduction, the A129 saw several successful deployments with Italian forces as part of various UN missions, proving itself as an effective and reliable attack helicopter. To date, the Italian and Turkish armies remain the sole operators of the Mangusta. In total, 60 A129 Mangustas were produced in addition to around 50 Turkish export units.