Manufacturing Biz #6 - Magazine - Page 9
UK MoD announces £1 billion
contract award for 23 new
medium helicopters
A
t the beginning of March the
UK Ministry of Defence (MoD)
announced a £1 billion contract
award for new medium helicopters (NMH).
Under the programme, Leonardo will
build and deliver 23 latest generation
AW149s from Yeovil, the Home of British
Helicopters, boosting the UK Armed Forces’
capabilities. The deal cements the site’s role
of serving the national and export market
with advanced military rotorcraft, with
significant potential for the international
market in the future - combining AW149
and other types for export.It also secures
thousands of skilled British jobs across the
supply chain as well as sovereign defence
skills and expertise for decades to come.
The MoD has also positioned the UK as
leader for uncrewed and autonomous
rotorcraft technology, confirming further
investment in Proteus - the UK's first
autonomous rotary wing uncrewed air
system.Proteus has been developed with
the Royal Navy and undertook its first
flight earlier this year. Proteus and NMH
represent a major investment into the UK’s
“Our industrial base in
the UK is core to our
international strategy and
competitiveness, now and
in the future.”
industrial base – a key pillar of delivery for
the Defence Industrial Strategy. Roberto
Cingolani, CEO and General Manager
of Leonardo, said: “We welcome the UK
Government’s decision to award the NMH
contract to supply advanced medium lift
helicopters to the UK Armed Forces, as
well as the continued investments in our
autonomous technology. Our industrial
base in the UK is core to our international
strategy and competitiveness, now and
in the future. This new programme will
translate into significant benefits for
the country; preserving and expanding
defence and security capabilities, high
quality industrial and technology expertise,
professional skills and export opportunities,
while also guaranteeing the UK remains
a credible global player by preparing for
future high-tech endeavours in aerospace,
defence, security and space.” The AW149 is
capable of operating in all environments in
support of defence operations around the
globe, from warfighting to humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief efforts. The
NMH programme will deliver multiple
rotary wing requirements using a single
aircraft-type. This means that the platform
will be able to undertake defence tasks
that were previously delivered by different
aircraft types, streamlining the Armed
Forces’ capabilities - improving efficiency
and operational flexibility now and in the
future. The AW149 platform, already in
service with international operators for a
range of applications and under evaluation
among various countries, is ideally suited
to modernise defence helicopter fleets
and replace a range of ageing types in the
medium weight category.
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