Italian defence company Leonardo has reached a €380m deal to supply four AW101 helicopters and a comprehensive integrated logistics and training package to the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoD).
The company will execute the contract through its wholly-owned Polish subsidiary PZL-Świdnik.
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As the prime contractor, PZL-Świdnik will assume responsibility for the execution of the entire contract.
The four AW101s will be used to conduct anti-submarine warfare and combat search and rescue missions. The fleet will replace the Mil Mi-14 ‘Haze’ ASW helicopters currently in service with the Polish Navy.
Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo said: “We are proud that the Polish Ministry Of Defence (MoD) has confirmed its trust in Leonardo as one of its key partners to collaborate on national defence, to support the modernisation of the Armed Forces and boost technological and industrial growth.
“We are committed to further reinforcing our presence and contribution to Poland, one of Leonardo’s home countries where we see significant collaboration opportunities in the future.”
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By GlobalDataThe contract was signed during a ceremony at Leonardo’s facility in Świdnik with deliveries expected to complete by 2022. It comes after the company entered into an offset agreement worth around €90m earlier this month with the MoD for the AW101 military helicopters.
Leonardo Helicopters managing director Gian Piero Cutillo said: “The supply of the best-in-class maritime AW101s will allow the Polish Navy to meet its rigorous requirements for the protection of national security in the Baltic Sea and for Nato operations.
“It will also enable life-saving missions in demanding conditions with second-to-none effectiveness, leveraging Leonardo’s leading role in the maritime helicopter field.”
The AW101s are produced at the Świdnik facility. In order to strengthen its presence in Poland, Leonardo is establishing a new legal entity with headquarters in the capital city of Warsaw.
A medium-lift utility helicopter with search-and-rescue capabilities, the AW101 is known as a Merlin in Europe and designated as a CH-149 Cormorant in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
