A year on from the official declaration of Yeovil as the ‘Home of British Helicopters’, August was a time to celebrate our Somerset site's rich history and look ahead to a future of continued innovation and growth.
For over 80 years, Yeovil has been the heart of helicopter design, development and production in the UK. As the nation's only end-to-end rotary wing manufacturer, Leonardo has built over 3,300 helicopters at the site, many of which have been exported around the globe.
With a skilled workforce of over 3,000 aviation experts and a robust UK-wide supply chain, Leonardo stands ready to deliver a British-built AW149 for the UK's New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement,, having submitted a bid to the UK Ministry of Defence. We were the only competitor to meet their August deadline with the promise that the AW149 would not only provide UK Armed Forces with a world-class helicopter, but also create a new, state-of-the-art production line in Yeovil – boosting the UK economy, supporting thousands of jobs and reinforcing the nation's position as a leader in aerospace technology.
Our commitment to the region extends beyond our aircraft. Some of those building future aircraft could be among the cohort of Industrial Placement students we welcomed to Yeovil during August, as part of continued commitment to early careers opportunities.
The month saw the company's Charity Committee at our Yeovil site demonstrate the power of a sustainable mindset by donating IT equipment that will soon be used by schoolchildren in Ukraine.
We also remain dedicated to fostering a strong relationship with the UK Armed Forces community. Following July’s airshows, our STEM Ambassadors participated in several RAF and Navy Family Days during August, showcasing Leonardo's capabilities and engaging with RAF and Navy personnel, their families and the wider community, with days at RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Waddington and RNAS Yeovilton.
Continuing the theme of military partnership, Clive Higgins urged greater UK-EU collaboration on defence, arguing for a more joined-up approach to maximising resources and avoiding duplication. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the Leonardo UK CEO highlighted the success of past collaborations like the Tornado and Typhoon, emphasising the potential for future partnerships to deliver both cutting-edge capabilities and economic benefits, strengthening European defence while boosting the UK aerospace industry.
Mid-August was when we wrapped up a successful South Asian Heritage Month, which saw colleagues across our UK sites hosting lunchtime sessions to celebrate this year’s theme, ‘Free To Be Me’. During the sessions, colleagues enjoyed samosas and shared stories about their South Asian Heritage.
At our Edinburgh site – a world-leader in the production of multi-role surveillance radars and countermeasure systems – we had the pleasure of welcoming the Italian Navy’s Defence Attachè, Rear Admiral Angelo Virdis, and RUSI’s Director of the Defence, Industries & Society Programme, Professor Trevor Taylor. Our apprentices and graduates demonstrated our cutting-edge capabilities and explained how Leonardo contributes to economic growth in Scotland and the UK.
During another August visit to Edinburgh, we were delighted to host a team from Defence Equipment & Support, who met some of our apprentices and graduates to hear about the exciting projects they are working on, including the ECRS Mk2 radar, air platform protection systems like our Miysis DIRCM, and the DragonFire laser programme.