UK MoD awards Leonardo with £1 billion New Medium Helicopter contract
Leonardo will provide the UK with 23 AW149 medium-lift helicopters for the NMH programme. (Photo: Leonardo)
The £1 billion contract has secured jobs at Leonardo’s Yeovil site and will provide the British forces with 23 new medium-lift helicopters.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has finally greenlit the long-awaited New Medium Helicopter contract, awarding Leonardo – the sole bidder – the £1 billion (US$1.35 million) contract for 23 medium-lift helicopters.
The AW149 is the helicopter Leonardo offered the UK MoD to replace the ageing and now retired Puma helicopters. According to the MoD, the new helicopters will also be used to work alongside uncrewed aircraft.
The order could then unlock further international orders for medium-lift helicopters, generating around £15 billion in exports for the next 10 years, the MoD has forecast.
Around 40% of work is to be
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![FCAS future fighter jet collapse: where does Europe’s next-generation air power go next?]()
FCAS future fighter jet collapse: where does Europe’s next-generation air power go next?
While the New Generation Fighter pillar of the Franco-German-Spanish programme is now officially dead in the water, Germany’s ambition to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet remains – with the country serving as a financially attractive potential partner for other programmes.
-
![Upgrades and fresh orders reinforce demand for Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet (updated 2026)]()
Upgrades and fresh orders reinforce demand for Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet (updated 2026)
The French-made aircraft is lining up potentially huge orders in Asia, with the latest F5 platform designed to keep the jet relevant in the modern battlespace until the 2040s.
-
![France air focus: Lower-cost sovereign capabilities propel $11.38 billion UAV market]()
France air focus: Lower-cost sovereign capabilities propel $11.38 billion UAV market
France is estimated to be Europe’s second-highest spender on UAVs, with a market focused on domestic production, loitering munitions and lower-cost sovereign systems. Its spending profile highlights substantial future market opportunities while reflecting broader industry trends.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Helicopters and CUAS set to dominate as Europe advances rearmament efforts]()
Eurosatory 2026: Helicopters and CUAS set to dominate as Europe advances rearmament efforts
The biennial show in Paris will focus heavily on autonomous technology, counter-drone solutions and helicopters, as countries ramp up defence budgets and focus on modernising defence capabilities.
-
![North American appetite for European AEW&C aircraft bolstered as Canada picks GlobalEye]()
North American appetite for European AEW&C aircraft bolstered as Canada picks GlobalEye
Canada’s selection of Saab’s GlobalEye to fulfil its airborne early warning requirements draws the country closer to European industry over American-made platforms, snubbing Boeing and L3Harris.
