Future Of Britain's Last Military Helicopter Production Line Uncertain
The UK government has delayed a decision on the £1 billion New Medium Helicopter program, which aims to replace the Royal Air Force’s aging Puma HC2 transport helicopters. The contract and the future of Leonardo’s Yeovil site in southwest England, which employs around 3,000 people, are at the center of a cabinet-level dispute. The program has become politically symbolic as the last UK facility associated with building military helicopters at scale. According to AeroTime, the delay risks undermining the company’s willingness to keep the site open without a new UK order.