First domestically built AW149 delivered to Polish Armed Forces
The first of 27 domestically built AW149 helicopters to add to five built in Italy was handed over to the Polish Army on 27 November. (Ministry of National Defence)
The first domestically built Leonardo AW149 armed battlefield utility helicopter was delivered to the Polish Armed Forces on 27 November.
Poland's Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz formally handed the first helicopter, tail number 6709, to the Polish Army's 25th Air Cavalry Brigade. The milestone came seven months after the helicopter made its maiden flight in April at PZL-Świdnik's production facility in eastern Poland.
Poland is acquiring 32 AW149 helicopters, 27 of which will be built in Poland to add to the five helicopters built at Leonardo's Vergiate facility in Italy. Deliveries are scheduled to run until 2029.
The type was cleared for operational use by the Polish Army in January 2024, enabling the service to begin replacing the Mil Mi-2 ‘Hoplite' and some PZL-Świdnik W-3PL Głuszec multirole battlefield helicopters.
The acquisition is part of Poland's wider helicopter procurement plans that will see the country receive 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, four maritime-roled Leonardo AW101 Merlins, and 22 land-roled Merlins. It was expected to acquire 32 Lockheed Martin S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, although in June it was announced it was postponing this procurement as it reassessed its wider requirements vis-à-vis the ongoing war in Ukraine. It is also looking at acquiring a new training helicopter to service its expanding operational requirements, with the Airbus H145, Bell 505, and Leonardo AW109 all in the offing.
For more information on Poland'sAW149 programme, please seePoland accepts first two AW149 helicopters .
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