The PZL-Świdnik plant, owned by the Italian Leonardo group, is one of the pillars of Polish-Italian cooperation in the defense industry. Following the launch of the AW149 helicopter assembly line, the Świdnik facility now produces these aircraft domestically and is preparing to carry out further contracts for the Polish Armed Forces. The company is counting, among other things, on orders for AW109 Trekker M training and combat helicopters, which could be manufactured entirely in Świdnik. Thanks to technology transfer and know-how, the Polish plant is now an important participant in Leonardo’s international helicopter contracts.
AW109 Trekker M / Photo: Grzegorz Sobczak, MILMAG
“Leonardo is investing heavily in PZL-Świdnik in Poland, which is fully integrated into Leonardo’s technological and industrial network. The company is a center of excellence for aerostructures within the Leonardo Group and is the only domestic helicopter manufacturer, an OEM, that possesses full industrial capabilities in the helicopter field: from design, through development and production, to servicing helicopters throughout their entire life cycle. One of the opportunities we are working on is the AW109 Trekker M training and combat helicopter. If the Polish government decides to select this model, the entire production and testing process will take place in Poland,” says Marco Lupo, President of Leonardo Poland, in an interview with the Newseria agency (Entities to Market Consultations Regarding Purchase Of 24 Training Helicopters).
PZL-Świdnik has been part of Leonardo since 2010, and since then the company has received over 1 billion PLN in investments. Additional multi-million investments are being implemented to further increase production capacity. As company representatives point out, these investments are also important from the standpoint of strengthening national resilience, as PZL-Świdnik is covered by the security plan of the Polish Armed Forces and is subject to mobilization. In 2022, the Ministry of National Defense signed a contract with the company for 32 AW149 helicopters worth 8.25 billion PLN gross, and in June 2024 the assembly line producing these helicopters for the Polish military was launched in Świdnik.
AW149 / Photo: Armaments Agency via X
“PZL-Świdnik is one of the key elements in building capability and resilience against threats. It is a very modern plant with extensive experience. Our growth has been tremendous; we have acquired a great deal of new technology. A milestone for us is the signing and implementation of the contract for the AW149 helicopter for the Polish Armed Forces,” emphasizes Bartosz Mateusz Śliwa, President of the Management Board of PZL-Świdnik.
The dynamic development of the Świdnik plant is the result of technology transfer and hands-on employee training at Leonardo’s facilities in Italy. Part of the workforce took part in production training at the Vergiate plant, where the first AW149 helicopters for the Polish military were built, and the experience gained there was used to launch the assembly line in Poland.
AW149 Final Assembly Line / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
“The role of PZL-Świdnik in the helicopter programs carried out worldwide by Leonardo is crucial. Eighty percent of our aerostructure production is delivered to all Leonardo facilities – in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy – so there is no helicopter flying today without components from Poland,” emphasizes Bartosz M. Śliwa.
Currently, PZL-Świdnik employs around 3,500 people, and a network of one thousand Polish suppliers provides components and services.
The MH-139A Grey Wolf special-mission helicopter for the U.S. Air Force—used, among other roles, to protect bases housing intercontinental ballistic missiles—whose airframe structures were produced at PZL-Świdnik / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
“PZL-Świdnik has experienced tremendous growth, nearly tenfold. Starting at 300 million PLN, we now reach revenues of around 3 billion PLN. Our workforce has been trained according to the latest training models, and we have strong investment prospects, which is why I look to the future with great optimism,” says the President of PZL-Świdnik. “Our key contract is the delivery of the AW149 helicopters for the Polish Armed Forces. We are also counting on new military contracts, primarily for the AW109 Trekker M training and combat helicopter, which we would like to supply to the armed forces for training young pilots. We know the military needs many pilots, we have many helicopter programs, and PZL-Świdnik is fully prepared to meet the requirements set by our military customer, we can also deliver a helicopter fully manufactured in Poland.”
The Leonardo Group is also interested in participating in other fleet-modernization programs for the Air Force, including the Ministry of National Defence’s ongoing analysis of the acquisition of 32 fighter aircraft.
Leonardo’s facilities in Caselle Torinese (Turin–Caselle) / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
“Our proposal includes 32 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, produced jointly by the founding nations: Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. As one of the industrial partners in the Eurofighter consortium, Leonardo has prepared an offer for Poland’s acquisition of these aircraft, under which around 40–50% of the investment value would remain in Poland,” says Marco Lupo. “This means significant benefits for Poland’s defense sector, as well as the participation of the Polish aviation industry in the most advanced project in the aerospace field. We are convinced that this will help enhance the capabilities of the aviation sector in Poland.”
Source: Newseria.
See also:
- Helicopter pilot training system from PZL-Świdnik for the Polish military
- 50,000 Flight Hours Logged by SW-4 Puszczyk Helicopters in the Polish Armed Forces
- PZL-Świdnik to Service Three Types of Polish Military Helicopters
- Integrated Training System for Military Helicopter Crews by Leonardo
- Boeing delivered the first production MH-139A Grey Wolf to the USAF