Leonardo Helicopters has been awarded an extension of up to two years on its support contract for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) 54-strong AW101 Merlin rotorcraft fleet.
Worth more than £165 million ($213 million), the short extension to the Integrated Merlin Operational Support (IMOS) contract is intended as a transition to a new support model later this decade.
Originally awarded in March 2006, the IMOS deal has previously been continued through five-year Pricing Period (PP) blocks, the most recent of which came into effect on 1 April 2020.
But with a new support model under the Rotary Wing Enterprise agreement due to be implemented “in due course”, the UK’s Defence Equipment & Support body has opted to extend the current PP4 deal rather than commence another five-year contract.
IMOS covers the RN’s fleet of 30 Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopters and 24 Merlin HC4/4As operated by the Commando Helicopter Force.
Work is performed at sites across southwest England including Leonardo Helicopters’ facility in Yeovil and Royal Naval Air Stations Culdrose and Yeovilton.
Leonardo Helicopters is the prime contractor for IMOS, with Lockheed Martin and Serco acting as subcontractors.
