AW149 Helicopter landed at the European Economic Congress

AW149 Helicopter landed at the European Economic Congress

22-Apr-2015 Source: AgustaWestland

During the European Economic Congress (EEC) held in Katowice from 20th to 22nd April 2015, PZL-Świdnik, an AgustaWestland company, will be exhibiting the AW149 helicopter – the company’s offer in the tender for the delivery of 70 multipurpose helicopters for the Polish Armed Forces.

Selection of the AW149 by the Polish Ministry of National Defence affords a unique opportunity to Poland for modernization of its helicopter fleet, development of the aviation and defence industry, and of the Polish economy. The offer of PZL-Świdnik provides the greatest economic benefits to Poland owing to the broadest scope of investments and development works, ensuring high employability levels not only in the Świdnik plant, but also in enterprises of the Lublin region and of the aviation industry across the entire country, which will be cooperating with the Świdnik plant as part of the AW149 programme for the Polish Armed Forces.

If AW149 is selected by Poland, PZL-Świdnik will become the production and development centre of this helicopter for the entire AgustaWestland Group, and not just to satisfy the needs of the Polish Armed Forces but also for export purposes. On the basis of preliminary market estimates, it can be assumed that within the coming 20 years the demand for the AW149 is likely to exceed 350 units, generating revenues worth over PLN 50 billion.

PZL-Świdnik will perform the complete production of the AW149, and not just the final assembly. PZL-Świdnik will be the integrator of the systems of avionics, communication, special equipment and armament and will become fully responsible for the development and future modifications of the AW149, including helicopter’s adjustment to the needs of the Polish Armed Forces.

The plan to implement the full production of the AW149 assumes the transfer of technologies including source codes of computer software and management of major systems, which will be provided under the offset worth over EUR 1 billion, with the total value of offset commitments related to the tender being in the range of billions of euros.

According to the estimates of the Lublin UMCS economists, selection of the AW149 will contribute to creation of as many as 5900 new jobs in the Lublin region, and the economic benefits for the Lublin region’s gross product will be in the range from PLN 500 thousand to as much as PLN 1.5 million daily.

AW149 is the most modern design of all those offered in the tender, and consequently it has the greatest potential for further development, adjustment to the needs of the armed forces and for being produced for at least another 30 years. This is a helicopter of the future, which was designed just a few years ago to replace the ageing designs available in the marketplace for over 40 years. AW149 will be capable of providing to the Polish Armed Forces a completely new quality, in terms of both soldiers’ safety and comfort. It can also turn Poland into a major player in the global helicopter market and ensure close participation of Polish engineers in the works on development of the most advanced aviation technologies in the world.

PZL-Świdnik at the European Economic Congress (EEC)

The EEC is the most important business event in the Central Europe. The participants discuss topics related to economy, also in the context of politics, state security or innovation development. PZL-Świdnik cannot be missing in such an important discussion because it is one of the most important enterprises of the Polish aviation and defence sector. With over 3,500 employees, cooperation with more than 900 Polish suppliers and annual export sales at the level of PLN 700 million, PZL-Świdnik is not only the driving force in the development of Lublin region economy, but also an integral element of Poland’s security system. Moreover for many years PZL-Świdnik has played the role of the main supplier of helicopters to the Polish Ministry of National Defence – presently almost 160 helicopters manufactured in Świdnik are actively operated by the Polish Armed Forces, and 80% of all rotorcraft delivered within the recent 10 years have been produced in PZL-Świdnik.

The President of the Board and the Managing Director of PZL-Świdnik Krzysztof Krystowski will attend three discussion panels during the EEC on 22nd April 2015:

•”The defence industry in Poland” (9:30 am – 11:00 am, Banquet Hall 1)
•”Innovations in production for the army – their role in the economy” (11:30 am – 1:00 pm, Banquet Hall 1)
•”Cluster are not the only solution. Cooperation or competition?” (1:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Conference Room 11).

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