Airbus and Lockheed Martin have bowed out from the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s New Medium Helicopter procurement, leaving Leonardo as the sole bidder for the $1.3 billion program.
In a statement, Airbus Helicopters UK said the decision to withdraw from contention was driven by its inability “to formulate a responsible bid that would in parallel satisfy the customer’’s requirements and provide adequate long-term returns to the business while implying a reasonable prospect of winning.”
Lockheed Martin echoed Airbus’ reasoning for its move.
Amid the withdrawal, Leonardo Helicopters UK Managing Director Adam Clarke assured his company’s commitment to its bid. “[W]e have an established UK onshore helicopter design and manufacturing capability and a related domestic supply chain,” he said. “We have been able to meet the MoD’s requirements, including for social value and U.K. industrial contribution.”
The Ministry of Defence established the NMH program to help modernize the British armed forces’ aging helicopter fleet. It seeks to achieve the program’s goals using a three-pronged approach:
- adopting an open systems architecture for rapid deployment of different role-fits and carry-on equipment,
- rationalizing five rotary-wing requirements under one aircraft type to maximize commonality, and
- establishing training and support solutions to streamline maintenance, logistics and workforce training.
The British government started accepting proposals for the program in February. The contract is expected to be awarded in 2025.