The official statement regarding the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Nowy Glinnik emphasizes that the AW149 helicopter, which was implemented entirely with a domestic production process, has been delivered. Within the scope of the project carried out in partnership with Leonardo and PZL Świdnik, this model, which is recorded as the 11th stage of the contract consisting of 32 aircraft, stands out as the first version produced on the domestic production line established in June 2024.
Speaking at the 7th Aviation Squadron ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the delivery closely affects defense purchases such as Saab’s selection process for the Orka submarine program and developments in the SAFE initiative and new missiles planned for Polish F-35s. Moreover Integration of AW149And strengthening national industrial capacityHe stated that it was considered as a critical step in terms of The Polish Ministry of Defense found this step important in terms of gradual modernization and industrial capacity increase.
The contract for 32 AW149 helicopters was signed with Leonardo in Świdnik on 1 July 2022 for a value of 8.25 billion złoty. Due to urgent needs for the first 10 aircraft, production in Italy was decided; the remainder were planned to be completed in Poland. According to Army Recognition, the local assembly line became operational in 2024 after Polish personnel received training at Leonardo facilities, thus implementing internal integration, weapon assembly, testing and long-term support processes. As a result, the first Polish-made helicopter fuselage was delivered in February 2025, and the acceptance test was successfully concluded on 14 April 2025.
This contract was designed in line with the conditions of technological transfer and long-term domestic sustainability, aiming at the renewal of existing helicopters such as Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-24, Mi-2, W-3 Sokół and SH-2G. Previous modernization initiatives include the Airbus H225M Caracal, which was selected but later canceled in 2015, and limited supplies of the Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk. Poland’s domestic AW149 production is considered as part of the gradual force modernization within the framework of the National Defense Strategy and aims to increase the capacity of the defense industry.
