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
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