UK awarded Leonardo Helicopters support contract for Apache AH Mk.1.

Leonardo Helicopters (UK) has been awarded a € 325 million contract for the Apache AH Mk.1 Integrated Operational Support (IOS) from the UK MoD, which will maintain the fleet until 2024 (end of their service).

A key role for 4 Regt AAC is to maintain a force of Apaches on standby to provide an aviation strike capability to the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade, the British military’s extreme cold weather warfare specialists (Picture source: British MoD)

The MOD has awarded a five-year, multi-million-pound deal to Leonardo Helicopters (UK) for the support of the existing fleet of 50 Apache AH Mk.1 attack helicopters. The Apache IOS programme office, located at Leonardo’s Yeovil facility, will continue to manage the IOS contract. The Apache IOS contract will deliver the required levels of aircraft availability whilst reducing through life costs.

Leonardo, through the involvement of its Helicopter and Electronics divisions, will continue to be supported by its industrial partners Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Longbow International to deliver complete spares provisioning, engineering, depth maintenance, repair & overhaul and technical support services for the UK MoD’s fleet of Apache AH Mk.1 helicopters, until they go out of service in 2024.

To replace these Apache AH Mk.1 helicopters by 2024, the latest Apache AH-64E aircraft will begin entering service with the British Army in 2022. The new AH-64E model will have improved sensors and avionics as well as greater performance that will enable the Army to sustain its battle-winning capabilities in future operations.

Leonardo is also responsible for the support and the training services for the UK MoD’s AW159 Wildcat helicopter fleet under the Wildcat Integrated Support and Training (WIST) contract and for the AW101 Merlins under the Integrated Merlin Operational Support (IMOS) contract.