Leonardo DRS handed two AW149 helicopters to the Polish Land Forces during a ceremony at the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland, on Monday.
It is the Italian defense company’s initial delivery since the contract’s announcement in July 2022.
According to Leonardo, the agreement with the Polish Ministry of Defence includes logistics, training and simulator packages. The logistics part of the contract covers the needed spares and consumable parts and equipment for the aircraft’s ground handling.
The company will also provide advanced simulators and training equipment and conduct comprehensive training sessions for pilots and technical personnel under the deal’s training and simulator package.
Leonardo built the AW149 helicopters through its local subsidiary PZL-Świdnik. The collaboration supported the localization of industrial and logistical capabilities required for the helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters Managing Director Gian Piero Cutillo said.
The Polish company will also provide logistics and technical services for the AW149 helicopters, including future aircraft modernization support that meets the Army’s specific requirements.
Leonardo said the AW149 platform features advanced equipment, weapons and system technologies that provide defense users with increased operational availability, mission effectiveness and cost efficiency.
For the Polish Armed Forces, the company supplied a configuration that boasts observation systems, small arms, guided/unguided rockets and missiles, and self-defense systems to enable combat support operations.