The first AW149 multi-role helicopter manufactured entirely in Poland has successfully completed its maiden flight.
The Polish Ministry of National Defence announced that the helicopter, produced at PZL-Świdnik, a Leonardo company, conducted its inaugural test flight on April 14, 2025, as part of the Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP). The ATP verifies that the aircraft conforms to the design configuration agreed upon under Poland’s contract with Leonardo Helicopters. Further flight testing will proceed according to established procedures and schedules, the Ministry stated.
This significant achievement follows the July 2022 agreement between Poland and Leonardo for the supply of 32 AW149 helicopters to the Polish Armed Forces. Initially, the first helicopters for the program were assembled at Leonardo’s facility in Vergiate, Italy, to meet urgent requirements driven by the region’s complex geopolitical environment. During this phase, Polish technicians from PZL-Świdnik were embedded in the production process, effectively laying the groundwork for full domestic manufacturing capabilities.
“The implementation of the AW149 contract for the Polish military is an example of excellent collaboration between Italian and Polish teams, effective supply chain management, and successful cooperation with the end user,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters, in a statement. “These combined efforts have ensured that the Polish military could begin training on this helicopter type according to schedule.”
The AW149 is a modern multi-role military helicopter equipped with advanced systems and designed for a variety of missions, including troop transport, medical evacuation, and search and rescue. The production contract with Poland specifically included technology transfer and the establishment of local manufacturing, maintenance, and support infrastructure within the country.
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