UK sets out AW149 delivery timeline

The UK is to introduce 23 new AW149 medium-lift helicopters into service from 2031 to 2033, the government has said. (Leonardo)

The United Kingdom has set out the delivery timeline for the Leonardo AW149 that was recently selected to fulfil its New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard provided a timeline for the arrival of 23 new AW149s announced in early March to replace the same number of now retired Airbus Puma HC2 helicopters.

“The NMH entry-into-service is expected in January 2031, with the first aircraft delivered in the summer of 2030. The final aircraft is expected to be delivered in the autumn of 2033, which is also when the equipment acquisition contract is expected to end,” Pollard said on 11 March.

In his response, the minister reiterated the safeguarding of jobs at Leonardo's Yeovil plant in southern England that comes with the GBP1 billion (USD1.33 billion) deal, and the potential for GBP15 billion in AW149 exports from the plant in the decade to 2036.

For more, please see UK selects AW149 for NMH