Adani partners with Leonardo to build helicopters in India

Leonardo plans to manufacture and support the AW169M in India with Adani. (Janes/Sam Wise)

Indian firm Adani Defence and Aerospace has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Leonardo to develop, manufacture, and sustain military helicopters in India.

Adani announced on 3 February that the joint project aims to address India's increasing military requirements and position the country as a “future hub of helicopter manufacturing”.

The partnership will support military platforms, particularly Leonardo's AW169M and AW109 TrekkerM utility helicopters, enabling their local development; maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO); and pilot training, Adani said.

Leonardo cited Indian Navy requirements as the reason for the selection of light-intermediate weight-class AW169M for its partnership with Adani. The company highlighted the aircraft's ability to meet the navy's demand for a ready, mature, and compatible platform for maritime/ship environmental conditions.

The AW169M's compact dimensions, folding rotor, and tricycle landing gear enable the platform to operate with “superior safety margins”, Leonardo said. The aircraft offers the Indian military “safer and cheaper” maritime multirole capabilities from land and ships, the company added.

“[The AW169M] is designed with dual-use technology in mind, which brings added high certification and safety standards combined with military-qualified configuration and mission capabilities,” Leonardo said.

The AW109 TrekkerM, however, with its “rugged airframe and skids”, allows to meet military requirements in the light aircraft segment, including for operations on unprepared terrains, Leonardo added.

Adani Defence and Aerospace CEO Ashish Rajvanshi said the collaboration supports domestic manufacturing, which aligns with the India's projected demand for more than 1,000 helicopters in the next 10 years. “[The partnership] will accelerate indigenisation, strengthen supply chains, and establish India as a world-class production base,” he added.