Westland site owner in helicopter pledge

THE owner of the former Agusta Westland factory in Yeovil insisted it will keep the site open even if it loses a Ministry of Defence helicopter contract to rival Airbus.

Leonardo, an Italian company which has run the Somerset facility since 2016, said it will be able to secure alternative work should it fail to clinch a £1bn deal to replace ageing Royal Air Force and British Army helicopters.

Adam Clarke, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, said: “I do really want to win this programme, but I think there are a number of other positive opportunities for the business.”

He claimed that the company’s future is bright, saying it already has potential orders for its AW101 military helicopter and the smaller AW159 Lynx.

Leonardo and Airbus, which is based in France, are considered the frontrunners for the MOD contract to build 36 to 44 new helicopters for the armed forces.

Airbus hit out at Leonardo for “dangling carrots” over a promise of £1bn of UK investment in November, while Leonardo claimed there was an “inherent risk” in Airbus’s plans to convert a civilian model for military use.

The competition moves to the next stage next month when the MOD is expected to flesh out its design brief for the helicopters ahead of a final decision in 2023.

Both are offering UK production: Leonardo at Yeovil and Airbus near Chester.