Leonardo to Deliver Next Stage of AW159 Wildcat Helicopter Integrated Support and Training Contract in the UK

Leonardo will now deliver the next stage of the Wildcat Integrated Support and Training (WIST) contract, which confirms the next five-year period of the 34-year contract originally signed in 2012. This £360 million contract awarded last year marks the continued delivery of support services for the UK’s fleet of AW159 Wildcat helicopters to the British Armed Forces. The WIST contract includes a spares provisioning service, a 3-Year Scheduled Maintenance service, enhanced technical support services including aircraft safety management, as well as delivering synthetic and ground-based training for both aircrew and maintainers. 

Simon Jones, VP of Customer Support and Training at Leonardo Helicopters UK, commented: “The next tranche of the Wildcat Integrated Support and Training (WIST) contract ensures the British Armed Forces have the right equipment, training and support to continue to meet their operational needs. Through collaboration and partnerships, WIST maintains UK rotary wing capabilities onshore through the center’s cutting-edge technologies and a highly-skilled workforce.”

The contract will sustain over 340 industry jobs, mainly in the Southwest of England at RNAS Yeovilton, where the Wildcat Training Centre and frontline squadrons are located, and also at Leonardo in Yeovil, where the joint Leonardo/Ministry of Defence WIST project office is located. The twin-engine AW159 helicopter is a modern, multi-role, and agile platform utilized for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) roles around the world. The platform recently surpassed 80,000 flight hours across its global fleet. To date, more than 70 AW159s in a variety of roles have been delivered to the battlefield and maritime military operators around the world, including the British Army and Royal Navy.