Leonardo Celebrates the Opening of PZL-Świdnik’s Production line for the AW149 Helicopters of the Polish Armed Forces

Leonardo, a global leader in aerospace, defence, and security, has shown a strong commitment to Poland through strategic partnerships and investments in the country’s defence capabilities, further confirmed with the latest key milestone achieved today. Today PZL-Świdnik, the Polish company fully owned by Leonardo, celebrated the opening of the production line for the AW149 helicopters of the Polish Armed Forces and the launch of the new, localized manufacturing activities, fulfilling its commitment to the new helicopter program.

The company’s dedication to technology transfer and local production has contributed to growth in the country’s skills base, and this has enabled new technologies to be delivered quickly to the customer, ensuring the Polish Armed Forces are equipped to meet challenges in the battlespace with the latest-generation multirole AW149 military helicopter. The official opening ceremony took place in the presence of representatives and dignitaries from national and local institutions, Leonardo, PZL- Świdnik, and partner companies. This achievement marks a new technological era for both PZL-Świdnik plants along with the national supply chain and military service.

A part of Leonardo, PZL-Świdnik leverages unique industrial advantages in terms of speed of deliveries and flexibility to meet challenging deadlines and emergency requirements considering the geopolitical scenario. The very first AW149s were produced in Vergiate (Italy), where Polish workers took on-the-job training and secured timely deliveries within a tight time schedule, handing over helicopters 15 months after contract signing. The majority of the Polish Armed Forces’ AW149 will be produced in Poland.

The Polish MoD’s AW149 program is based on localized production through PZL-Świdnik, which is a strategic decision of Poland to secure both national security and key industrial benefits. The contract for 32 AW149s was signed in Świdnik in 2022 and also covers the integration of the helicopter's systems, dedicated armament, future modernization, and technical support through the entire life cycle of the Polish AW149 fleet. Thanks to local production Poland gains a domestic logistics base and technical facilities located close to the Polish Land Forces, in addition to state-of-the-art helicopters.