Off the back of interest from New Zealand and elsewhere, Leonardo is expressing confidence that future sales can be secured for the naval variant of its twin-engine AW159 Wildcat multi-mission helicopter.
Briefing at the Farnborough International Airshow on 22 July 2024, Adam Clarke, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, reviewed the company’s sales prospects moving forward, but made particular mention of the AW159.
“We are seeing tangible green shoots [in relation to] the international outlook for the AW159 spanning Asia, the Middle East and in particular New Zealand,” he said.
Leonardo is offering the AW159 to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) as a solution for its Maritime Helicopter Replacement (MHR) programme after the NZDF issued a request for information in April 2023 for a platform to replace its eight SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters.
“Whilst we await for details from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence in the form of a request for tender, we can say Leonardo will put forward the AW159 Wildcat,” said Clarke. “The AW159 is a proven, cost-effective, multi-role platform with the UK government as a reference customer. It meets New Zealand’s specific requirements and has full support from the UK government.”
Beyond New Zealand, however, Clarke said Leonardo has serious interest from “five to six” customers looking for shipborne naval helicopters and that “the quantities are good”.
Commenting on AW159 production, Clarke said, “I’m not looking to close that line; I’m looking to grow it.”
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) selected the Future Lynx, known as the AW159 since 2009, for the Royal Navy’s Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) and British Army’s Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH) requirement in April 2005, ultimately ordering 28 for the navy and 34 for the army. The Royal Navy’s first AW159 completed its maiden flight in January 2013 and the type entered service with the Royal Navy as the Wildcat HMA2 in 2015.
Meanwhile, South Korea ordered eight AW159s for the Republic of Korea Navy in 2013, while two aircraft were ordered for the Philippine Navy in 2016.
