Leonardo Helicopters’ UK plant in Yeovil could end up building four different military rotorcraft types if the ambitions of its managing director are realised.
At present the site assembles just the AW101 and AW159 Wildcat, although production of the latter has dwindled significantly in recent years.
Indeed, the completion of AW159 export orders for the Philippine and South Korean navies had led to a production gap until a three-unit deal in 2022 from an undisclosed North African customer enabled reactivation of the final assembly line.
Nonetheless, releasing its industrial plan in March, the company’s Italian parent had warned that “a form of value management will be attempted [for the AW159], finding a suitable partner/buyer”.
But managing director Adam Clarke says a resurgence in interest in the AW159 has driven “an uptick that’s really quite strong in terms of new opportunities”, adding: “The health of the AW159 is that it’s in a much better position than probably it has ever been.”
Clarke declines to detail the exact quantities it is targeting but says it is actively engaged in discussions around “five to six total fleet requirements”.
On top of the AW159 and AW101, which has seen steady if low-volume sales in recent years, Clarke is hopeful the Yeovil plant will also soon be building AW149s for the UK and export market and uncrewed helicopters based on its Proteus demonstrator.
“We are building the business plan based on having all four,” he says.
However, adding the AW149 to the portfolio will depend on Leonardo Helicopters winning the UK’s ongoing New Medium Helicopter (NMH) contest, where it faces competition from the Airbus Helicopters H175M and Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk.
But Clarke stresses the domestic manufacturing credentials of Leonardo Helicopters over its rivals. “While competitors are offering some level of UK assembly, Leonardo is the only company down-selected… that actually has the skills and infrastructure onshore today to provide a Made in Britain helicopter to the UK armed forces.”
While all three companies would have to relocate production from elsewhere to meet the NMH requirements, Leonardo is the only contender currently building helicopters in the UK.
Proteus, meanwhile, is an uncrewed helicopter being developed as a technology demonstrator for the UK Royal Navy as an autonomous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) asset.
First flight of the platform is due in the first quarter of 2025, says Clarke, with windtunnel testing of a scaled model currently under way.
In addition, Leonardo in July ran a series of simulation tests using a digital twin of the Proteus “designed to prove the viability of autonomous, uncrewed aircraft in the ASW find role”.
Clarke says the Yeovil site is also benefiting from mid-life upgrade opportunities for the AW101 and AW159; it has recently begun studies for the UK Ministry of Defence to enable the Wildcats operated by the Royal Navy and British Army to be operated until 2040, he says.
