The Government of the United Kingdom is preparing to award Leonardo a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) contract to produce 23 medium-lift military support helicopters, according to a source cited by AFP.
The agreement is expected to safeguard thousands of jobs at the Yeovil facility in southwest England — the UK’s last remaining military helicopter manufacturing site — where around 3,000 people are employed. The plant’s future had been uncertain after Leonardo indicated it could face closure if the contract was not secured.
The deal is anticipated just days before the March 1 award deadline. The Unite the Union described the development as a “tremendous victory” for workers and the broader aerospace sector.
Leonardo remained the sole bidder after Airbus and Lockheed Martin reportedly withdrew from the competition.
The announcement comes as NATO members pledge to raise defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2035, amid pressure from Donald Trump for increased European military investment. Keir Starmer recently stated that the UK must accelerate its defense spending plans.
Leonardo’s Yeovil site, established in 1915, was originally built to produce aircraft during the First World War.
