On 2 March 2017 in Rome, Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and the Italian company Leonardo signed a Cooperation Agreement for helicopters. This is mutual confirmation of the cooperation and continued dialogue on areas of potential industrial cooperation around production, servicing and maintenance of helicopters for the Polish Armed Forces. 

This agreement between Polish Armaments Group and Leonardo is a further step towards enhancing the cooperation between PGZ and its Italian partner, which began in 2015.

The collaboration between PGZ and Leonardo, involves determining areas of potential industrial and business cooperation around helicopter programmes for the Polish Armed Forces’ Technical Modernization Plan. The agreement signed on 2 March 2017 in Rome, confirms the intention to continue the dialogue between the two companies, and identifies specific areas of cooperation between PGZ and Leonardo.

• “The signed agreement means strengthening the Polish-Italian relations. It opens in front of the polish defense industry the perspectives of a significant technology transfer and the possibility of substantial contribution to the implementation of helicopter programmes for the Polish Armed Forces. I’m convinced, that this is the next step on the way to a long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation” – said Błażej Wojnicz, the President of the Managing Board of PGZ S.A.
• “This latest agreement comes only a few months after the announcement of our Strategic Partnership with PGZ. Through this cooperation the Polish defence industry, which also includes PZL-Świdnik, part of Leonardo Group, would benefit from the greatest involvement in the next military helicopter procurement programme, including technology transfer and creation of highlyskilled jobs in the country. This would also translate into enhanced national security supported by more effective and reliable through-life-cycle services,” said Mauro Moretti, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo.

The aim of the agreement is to strengthen cooperation between the PGZ Group and Leonardo for the supply of helicopters offered by the Italian company to the Polish Ministry of Defence. It includes the AW149, AW101 and W-3PL “Gluszec” models. Should Leonardo be selected by the Polish MoD for the new helicopter requirement, companies in the PGZ Group will take part in the servicing and manufacture of helicopters. This also involves extension of the industrial capability of the companies included in the PGZ Group in servicing or production of components, systems or levels of the chosen helicopter.

The cooperation program also foresees the participation of a number of companies included in Polish Armaments Group: WZL-1 S.A., WZL nr 2 S.A., WSK „PZL – Kalisz” S.A., PCO S.A., PIT-RADWAR S.A., ZM „Tarnów” S.A., MESKO S.A. and WCBKT S.A.