Germany to send WS-61 Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine
Germany has committed to sending Ukraine six of its 21 retiring WS-61 Westland Sea King multirole, amphibious helicopters.
Leonardo Helicopters will continue supporting the UK’s Wildcat helicopter fleet under a £271 million contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 9 January.
The five-year deal will deliver a range of support and training services for the UK’s entire fleet of 62 AW159 Wildcat helicopters, currently in service with the Royal Navy and British Army Air Corps. Wildcat operators include 825 and 847 Naval Air Squadron and 652 and 661 Squadron Army Air Corps.
The new Wildcat Integrated Support and Training contract is expected to support around 500 jobs at MoD and Leonardo sites across the country.
The Royal Navy’s maritime Wildcat forms the core of the UK’s frigate and destroyer aviation capability and performs tasks including anti-surface and submarine warfare, force protection, transport and the vital information, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance role.
The army variant performs reconnaissance, command and control, force protection, and transport roles in a wide variety of environments.
Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said: ‘This Wildcat deal delivers a key capability for the Royal Navy and army, and supports vital high-skilled jobs in Somerset, where there’s a proud tradition of supporting UK helicopter operations.'
Germany has committed to sending Ukraine six of its 21 retiring WS-61 Westland Sea King multirole, amphibious helicopters.
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