New Medium Helicopter competition remains “sensitive”, says UK MoD
Leonardo's AW149 is the sole helicopter platform in the running for the NMH contract. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Jakub Halun)
In the wake of the UK’s announced defence cuts on ageing rotorcraft, the question of whether the UK will have adequate capacity to meet growing threats has been raised following further concerns over the timeline of its New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme.
Now, the general secretary of UK Union Unite has called on UK Secretary of Defence John Healey to act on the UK government’s commitment to build the NMH programme at Leonardo’s site in Yeovil. The site supports 2,800 employed workers, with thousands more operating as contractors or within its supply chain.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “These
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
Portugal signals interest in establishing A-29N final assembly line
As the launch customer for the NATO-configured variant, Portugal also took delivery of the first five A-29N aircraft from its order for 12, placed in 2024.
-
Leonardo signs contract on Austria’s M-346 aircraft order
The first of the 12 M-346 aircraft are expected to be delivered to the Austrian Air Force by 2028, according to the company.
-
2025 UAV market review: $7.8 billion in new contracts signed as US leads spending
Qatar and Indonesia followed the US’s high spending on new uncrewed aerial vehicle contracts across 2025, while MALE and micro drones and loitering munitions were particularly popular subcategories this year.