PZL-Swidnik, the Polish firm totally owned by Leonardo, has been awarded a contract by the Polish Ministry of Defence (MoD) price 8.25 billion PLN gross (roughly EUR 1.76 billion) for the availability of 32 AW149 multirole helicopters. The contract was introduced immediately throughout an official ceremony held at PZL-Swidnik’s facility immediately, within the presence of representatives of the Polish Authorities. Performing because the prime contractor, PZL-Swidnik will host a neighborhood manufacturing line for these new helicopters. Leonardo will subsequently undertake additional investments in its Polish facility along with roughly 1 billion EUR already invested since 2010, which has considerably strengthened the competitiveness and the commercial capabilities of PZL-Swidnik. This supplies an vital contribution to the Polish aerospace and defence trade, which can allow home manufacturing, the institution of a logistic base and thorough technical help for the Polish MoD’s AW149s, according to Leonardo and PZL-?Swidnik’s dedication to ship industrial advantages to Poland.
As well as, the contract contains logistics, coaching and simulator packages. The logistics bundle features a inventory of spares and consumable elements, in addition to tools for the bottom dealing with of the helicopters. The coaching and simulator bundle contains complete coaching of pilots and technical personnel and the supply of a set of superior simulators and coaching tools. The brand new helicopters will perform missions together with troop transport and air help. The tools of the helicopters may even enable them for use for casualty evacuation, search and rescue in fight operations and for the transport of products and provides. The helicopters’ configuration, totally assembly the necessities of the Polish Armed Forces, may even embrace, amongst others, commentary programs, small arms, guided/unguided rockets and missiles and self-defence programs. The armament, relying on the helicopter variant and configuration, might be put in within the cabin or on the helicopter’s exterior exhausting factors. The deliveries of the helicopters can be made within the 2023-2029 interval.
Commercial
Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo, stated: “The contract signed immediately is a continuation of the success of our guarantees to Poland relating to Leonardo’s dedication to the event of the native helicopter vegetation and the Polish provide chain to the advantage of Polish trade.”
Jacek Libucha, President of PZL-Swidnik stated: “With full capabilities in helicopter design, growth, customisation and servicing, PZL-Swidnik confirms its management and the continuation of its 70-year heritage by way of the setting of key milestones for our aviation trade. I do know PZL-Swidnik’s helicopters and their nice capabilities properly as a former army officer with expertise in nation and overseas.”
Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, stated: “The state-of-the-art AW149 helicopter represents a quantum leap ahead in true multirole mission and development functionality, environment friendly fleet administration and emergency responsiveness for contemporary armed forces.”
The AgustaWestland AW149 is a medium-lift multi-role army helicopter developed by AgustaWestland, now Leonardo, launched in 2006. On 20 June 2011 AgustaWestland introduced the AW189, a civilian growth of the AW149, for service in 2013. The AW149, already in service with worldwide operators for a spread of functions and beneath analysis amongst many international locations, is ideally suited to modernise defence helicopter fleets and change a spread of ageing sorts within the medium weight class. The AW149 is a modern technology multirole army helicopter designed from the outset to fulfill essentially the most demanding wants of armed forces. The platform might be reconfigured to carry out all kinds of demanding duties within the hardest operational circumstances. The AW149’s superior tools, weapons and system applied sciences, mixed with its agility, vary/endurance and excessive energy margins, highest ranges of security and survivability, present defence customers with excessive operational availability, mission effectiveness and price effectivity of the fleet.
