Poland to receive new AW101
The country is due to receive the first of a batch of four AW101 helicopters intended for use by the Polish Navy
The helicopter was announced as being en route to Poland by the country’s Defense Minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, in a post on the website formerly known as Twitter.
The aircraft is being delivered under a 1.65 billion zloty (US$405.43 million) contract signed by the Polish government with manufacturer Leonardo in April 2019.
It will be used by the navy for a range of purposes, including search and rescue (SAR) and anti-submarine operations.
The new fleet was originally due for delivery by the end of 2022, but was subsequently delayed. Following delivery, the AW101s will undergo a series of tests at the facility of Leonardo subsidiary PZL-Świdnik, before being put into service.
It was reported earlier this year that the Polish government was looking to purchase an additional batch of 22 AW101s for military usage.