UK opens bidding for brand spanking new helicopter, to award contract in 2025

Britain has opened up bids for its New Medium Helicopter program because the nation’s modernization program strikes into a serious new section, the Defence Ministry introduced Tuesday.

The U.Ok. expects to award a contract in 2025 to construct the brand new helicopters, the ministry stated. In accordance with a March 2022 authorities doc about main protection tasks, the deal could possibly be value almost £1.2 billion (U.S. $1.5 billion).

“The New Medium Helicopter will present important assist to our navy operations, and we’re happy to have reached this subsequent essential stage of this system,” Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge stated within the information launch. “This system’s competitors contains important standards which might be key to securing important rotary wing operational independence, permitting us to reply swiftly to rising threats in a extremely contested world.”

This program is anticipated to ship as much as 44 medium-lift assist helicopters that may function in all environments and carry out as much as 5 totally different jobs that have been beforehand coated by various kinds of plane, the ministry stated, together with finishing up each fight and humanitarian missions. That is anticipated to streamline the U.Ok.’s vertical raise capabilities, offering extra effectivity and operational flexibility, the ministry added.

The U.Ok. branches of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin are anticipated to submit bids now that the British navy has launched its invitation to barter.

The potential to export these helicopters to different international locations will likely be an essential aspect the U.Ok. will take into account because it evaluates bids, the ministry stated. Different points to endure consideration embrace the helicopters’ design, manufacturing and manufacturing course of.

“The New Medium Helicopter contract will safe the important operational independence we require, in addition to investing in U.Ok. abilities for the long run, and demonstrates the U.Ok. authorities’s dedication to the Defence and Safety Industrial Technique,” the ministry stated in its launch.

The winner of this contract will change the Military’s Puma helicopters, in addition to the nation’s growing old Bell 412, Bell 212 and Airbus Dauphin helicopters.

Lockheed and its subsidiary Sikorsky plan to submit the Black Hawk helicopter for the New Medium Helicopter program. Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo stated on the Paris Air Present in June 2023 that it was contemplating organising a Black Hawk last meeting line within the U.Ok. to strengthen its bid for this system. A last meeting line on the European continent — seemingly Poland — can be an choice, Lemmo added.

Airbus has teamed up with Boeing to pitch the H175M for this system, which it could construct in Wales. The H175M can be a militarized model of Airbus’ business H175 helicopter.

Italian agency Leonardo is eyeing its AW149 helicopter for its personal bid, saying the development type permits for the plane to raised survive small-arms fireplace.