Leonardo: UK MOD annouces £1 billion contract award for 23 new medium helicopters

Rome, 2 March 2026 – The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced a £1 billion contract award for new medium helicopters (NMH). Under the programme, Leonardo will build and deliver 23 latest generation AW149s from Yeovil, the Home of British Helicopters, boosting the UK Armed Forces’ capabilities.

The deal cements the site’s role of serving the national and export market with advanced military rotorcraft, with significant potential for the international market in the future – combining AW149 and other types for export. It also secures thousands of skilled British jobs across the supply chain as well as sovereign defence skills and expertise for decades to come. The MoD has also positioned the UK as leader for uncrewed and autonomous rotorcraft technology, confirming further investment in Proteus – the UK’s first autonomous rotary wing uncrewed air system. Proteus has been developed with the Royal Navy and undertook its first flight earlier this year. Proteus and NMH represent a major investment into the UK’s industrial base – a key pillar of delivery for the Defence Industrial Strategy.

Roberto Cingolani, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo, said: “We welcome the UK Government’s decision to award the NMH contract to supply advanced medium lift helicopters to the UK Armed Forces, as well as the continued investments in our autonomous technology. Our industrial base in the UK is core to our international strategy and competitiveness, now and in the future. This new programme will translate into significant benefits for the country; preserving and expanding defence and security capabilities, high quality industrial and technology expertise, professional skills and export opportunities, while also guaranteeing the UK remains a credible global player by preparing for future high-tech endeavours in aerospace, defence, security and space.”

Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, said: “The NMH Contract Award opens a new chapter for our Yeovil site and its historical contribution to the UK Armed Forces. The AW149’s modern design, advanced technology and high performance will deliver outstanding capabilities allowing the operator to enter a new era in terms of mission effectiveness, interoperability, supportability and growth potential to face the challenges of modern and evolving scenarios. The addition of autonomous technology prospects as part of the Award, will further enhance the UK’s defence and industrial capabilities. We’re committed to starting working soon through this solid collaborative effort.”

The AW149 is capable of operating in all environments in support of defence operations around the globe, from warfighting to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. The NMH programme will deliver multiple rotary wing requirements using a single aircraft-type. This means that the platform will be able to undertake defence tasks that were previously delivered by different aircraft types, streamlining the Armed Forces’ capabilities – improving efficiency and operational flexibility now and in the future. The AW149 platform, already in service with international operators for a range of applications and under evaluation among various countries, is ideally suited to modernise defence helicopter fleets and replace a range of ageing types in the medium weight category.

photo courtesy Leonardo