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UK pledges New Medium Helicopter decision before end‑March after talks with Leonardo to keep AW149 bid alive

UK defence ministers met Leonardo executives twice in the past fortnight to reassure the company of continued government commitment to the long‑running New Medium Helicopter (NMH) competition. Ministers promised a procurement decision ahead of an end‑March deadline to keep Leonardo’s AW149 bid in contention.

Discovered 2026-02-11T09:40:28.750887-08:00 | 2026-02-11T09:40:28.750887-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • A firm decision before end‑March will resolve procurement uncertainty over NMH and determine whether Leonardo's AW149 remains viable; it directly affects the future of the Yeovil factory and ~3,000 jobs.
  • Repeated ministerial engagement and the pledge to decide reflect acute political pressure to conclude NMH quickly after the company's public warnings about harm from contract delays; the outcome will shape UK defence industrial policy and OEM competition for medium-lift rotorcraft.

Reported By

Janes Aviation Week FlightGlobal
Sources Tracked
3
First Seen
2026-02-11T09:40:28.750887-08:00
Latest Update
2026-02-12T04:16:16.811512-08:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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