Last month, Leonardo attended the 27th edition of MSPO in Kielce, Poland, after recent successes indicating the company’s special relationship with Poland and its Armed Forces.
With four AW101 helicopters and four additional M-346 training aircraft ordered recently (
www.leonardocompany.com) and the establishment of Leonardo Poland, Leonardo and its subsidiary PZL-Swidnik are working to fulfil Poland’s defence requirements with new projects shown at this year’s edition of MSPO.
During the show, Leonardo presented new features and capabilities for the legacy Sokol helicopter model, which forms the backbone of the Polish Armed Forces’ helicopter fleet.
Also shown was an AW101, selected by the Polish Navy to perform Anti-Submarine Warfare and Combat Search and Rescue missions. PZL-Swidnik plays a significant role in the production of all AW101s ordered world-wide.
In another development, Leonardo and PGZ (the Polish armaments group) signed a Letter of Intent for future collaboration on the AW249 programme, which relates to the “only new combat helicopter currently being designed to meet the Polish Armed Forces’ requirement for an aircraft in this mission category”.
Meanwhile, the SW-4 Solo highlights Leonardo’s capabilities in unmanned technology. The Solo helicopter is equipped with advanced systems and sensors manufactured by Leonardo; it also forms part of the Helimaris project, which aims to modify an optionally piloted helicopter for maritime missions.
The programme is being carried out by PZL-Swidnik in collaboration with Polish R&D centres and universities.
Leonardo’s activities in Poland are mainly carried out by its subsidiary PZL-Swidnik, a Polish helicopter manufacturer with over 65 years of experience that has produced over 7,400 helicopters for customers in over 40 countries.
The company currently has about 3,000 employees, including more than 650 engineers, and works with almost 800 Polish firms. To further consolidate its presence and develop its business in Poland, Leonardo established a new legal entity — Leonardo Poland — that is based in Warsaw.