Poland has received the first of 22 AW149 multi-role helicopters to be made domestically by Leonardo Helicopters subsidiary PZL Swidnik.
Part of a larger 32-unit buy, the previous 10 examples of the super-medium-class helicopter delivered to the Polish Land Forces have been assembled by the airframer at its line in Vergiate in northern Italy.
Handed over on 27 November, the AW149 will be operated by the service’s 25th Air Cavalry Brigade and used for a variety of missions including medical evacuation and battlefield support. Deliveries under the contract are due to run until 2029.
”It is always a great moment when the next piece of equipment goes to the Polish army. Today, the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade receives the first AW149 helicopter produced in Poland at PZL Swidnik,” said Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, presenting the helicopter during a 27 November ceremony.
Meanwhile, the AW149 is also the sole remaining contender for the UK’s New Medium Helicopter requirement.
Should it be selected by the Ministry of Defence, Leonardo Helicopters has pledged to set up another final assembly line for the type at its Yeovil plant in the UK.
Further clarity on that acquisition is expected when the UK government reveals its Defence Investment Plan in the coming weeks.
