Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Leonardo Warns Yeovil Helicopter Plant at Risk Over NMH Delay

A formal letter to the defence secretary highlights uncertainty from a postponed Defence Investment Plan that has left the sole AW149 bid unresolved.

Leonardo's Yeovil helicopter plant, which still awaits an expected UK order for the AW149. (Image credit: Leonardo)
Image
The Leonardo AW149 is slated as a replacement for the Puma, which went into service with the RAF in the mid-Sixties

Overview

  • Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani has written to Defence Secretary John Healey warning that further delay or cancellation of the New Medium Helicopter program would force a reassessment of the company’s UK presence and investment.
  • The Yeovil facility, the UK’s last end-to-end helicopter production site employing roughly 3,000–3,300 people, is cited as at risk if the contract is not awarded.
  • The Ministry of Defence says no final procurement decision has been made and that officials continue to evaluate the NMH business case within the government approvals process.
  • Leonardo’s AW149 is the sole remaining offer after Airbus and Lockheed Martin withdrew, and the company submitted its best-and-final proposal in April.
  • Industry frustration has grown since the Strategic Defence Review, with the Defence Investment Plan now expected in 2026; Conservative MP Mark Francois warned in Parliament that the delays are undermining confidence and threatening the defence supply base.