‘UK awards £1 billion pound helicopter contract to Boeing in addition to £1 billion helicopter contract awarded to Leonardo
More than welcome by the armed forces I am sure. - as would the fuel be to fly them
Cast your mind back to this from a month ago:
UK finally ok’s £1 billion contract to Leonardo to build 23 helicopters £44 million each
Well, now we have this:
UK government hands Boeing $1 billion military helicopter contract
Confused? Tune in next week for more conflicting contracts.
Let’s turn to Brave AI for a competing summary.
“The UK awarded Boeing a $1.19 billion (879 million pounds) contract to maintain and support its Apache attack and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
Contract Scope: The three-year deal covers maintenance and support services for the military aircraft fleet.
Aircraft Involved: The Apache attack helicopters are operated by the British Army, while the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters are used by the Royal Air Force.
Timeline: The contract was announced on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Separately, the UK awarded a different £1 billion contract to Leonardo to build 23 new AW149 medium-lift helicopters, which secures 3,300 jobs at the Yeovil manufacturing site.
The UK’s New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme has a contract value of £1 billion ($1.3 billion) and involves the procurement of 23 AW149 medium-lift helicopters to replace the Royal Air Force’s aging Puma HC2 fleet.
While the initial requirement launched in 2021 sought up to 44 aircraft, the final order size was reduced to 23 units following the withdrawal of competitors Airbus and Lockheed Martin, leaving Leonardo Helicopters as the sole bidder.
Here’s some context on the Leonardo contract:
“On March 2, 2026, the UK government awarded a £1 billion ($1.35 billion) contract to Italian defence contractor Leonardo to build 23 new medium-lift AW149 military helicopters for the British Armed Forces.
The contract, part of the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme, aims to replace the retired Puma HC2 fleet and consolidate roles previously held by three different aircraft types into a single platform.
Additionally, the deal is expected to unlock up to £15 billion in future export opportunities, positioning the UK as a global centre for military helicopter production with more than 40% of the work carried out at the Yeovil site. “
competing wih Boeing as a global centre for military helicopter production?
The UK’s New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme has a contract value of £1 billion ($1.3 billion) and involves the procurement of 23 AW149 medium-lift helicopters to replace the Royal Air Force’s aging Puma HC2 fleet.
My arithmetic may be challenged but I make that almost two billion pounds right there!
I hope the shiny trousered ‘wonks’ working out these two deals have a better grasp f the arithmetic involved.
All just a tiny fraction of the UK’s required trillion pound military spend by 2035 (and beyond) –
I hope they are all drone proof - and the UK can find the necessary fuel to keep them - and the Royal Air Force in the air.
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