The British Ministry of Defense expects to move forward with a contract for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) in 2025, a defense official said at a parliamentary hearing this week.
British Defense Procurement and Industry Minister Maria Eagle told the House of Commons on Monday, “The new medium helicopter competition is at the evaluation and approval stage. If everything goes well, I anticipate a contract award later this year, subject to all the usual approvals.”
Leonardo is reported to be the sole bidder for the contract with its AW149 helicopter, after Lockheed Martin and Airbus withdrew from the competition last year.
The acquisition is expected to cost up to GBP1.2 billion ($1.5 billion).
The U.K. launched the NMH acquisition in 2021, under a plan to consolidate the military’s helicopter fleet as its Chinooks and Pumas leave service. The original expectation was that the U.K. would order 44 helicopters, but press reports in 2024 indicated that the requirement was reduced to 30 units.
After Labour won last year’s elections, speculation mounted that the government could scrap the NMH as part of its defense review, but Eagle reiterated the government’s support for the project in a December parliamentary session.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
