Polish manufacturer PZL-Świdnik successfully completes maiden flight of its first fully domestically-produced AW149 military helicopter, marking a significant milestone in the country’s €1.76 billion defense modernization program and technology transfer initiative.
Poland reached a major defense manufacturing milestone on April 14, 2025, when the first AgustaWestland AW149 multi-role helicopter produced entirely in Poland successfully completed its maiden flight, manufacturer PZL-Świdnik and the Polish Ministry of National Defence announced.
The helicopter underwent its inaugural test flight as part of the aircraft’s type acceptance test procedure, which confirms the aircraft conforms to the design configuration agreed upon under Poland’s contract with Leonardo Helicopters, the Italian parent company of PZL-Świdnik.
The successful flight represents the culmination of a strategic technology transfer program that began with a €1.76 billion contract signed between Leonardo Helicopters and the Polish Ministry of National Defence on July 1, 2022, for the supply of 32 AW149 helicopters for the Polish armed forces.
Strategic Technology Transfer Program
The contract’s implementation followed a carefully planned approach to establish domestic manufacturing capabilities. Initially, the first five helicopters were assembled at Leonardo’s facility in Vergiate, Italy, to meet urgent requirements stemming from the region’s complex geopolitical environment. During this phase, Polish technicians from PZL-Świdnik were embedded in the production process, laying the groundwork for full domestic manufacturing of the remaining 27 helicopters under the contract.
The Polish Land Forces received their first two Italian-built AW149s on October 30, 2023, when they entered service with the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
The technology transfer initiative is also facilitating the establishment of a Polish repair and maintenance base, creating a comprehensive domestic support infrastructure for the aircraft.
Industry Leadership Perspectives
“The implementation of the contract for the AW149 for the Polish army is an example of excellent work done jointly by the Italian and Polish teams, the efficiency of the entire supply chain and, finally, successful co-operation with the user,” Gian Piero Cutillo, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters, was quoted as saying in a PZL-Świdnik press release. “The combination of these factors contributed to the fact that the Polish army was able to start the training phase for this type of helicopter on schedule. The effects of this co-operation give us the incentive to consider how we could best cope with future helicopter programmes for the Polish army, perhaps through similar initiatives.”
PZL-Świdnik President Jacek Libucha emphasized the historic significance of the achievement. “For all of us at PZL-Świdnik, April 14, 2025, is an extremely important date, marking another strategic achievement of the Świdnik plant,” Libucha stated. “The new type of helicopter manufactured at PZL-Świdnik is an event that has been planned and expected for a long time. Today, while testing in flight this most modern helicopter in the world in this weight category, we all have reason to be deeply satisfied with our work for the Polish army. We have more units to produce, test in flight, and in the future service and, perhaps in accordance with the future needs of the army, also their modernisation and integration of new systems; we already have full capabilities for all these activities.”
Aircraft Capabilities and Configuration
The AW149 is a multi-role military helicopter designed for a variety of missions, including troop transport, medical evacuation, and search and rescue. The Polish configuration includes observation systems, machine guns, missiles, guided/unguided rockets and self-defense systems.
Further flight tests with the Polish-produced AW149 will continue according to established procedures and schedules, according to the Ministry of National Defence.
Key Takeaways
- Poland successfully completed maiden flight of its first fully domestically-manufactured AW149 military helicopter on April 14, 2025.
- The achievement represents the culmination of a €1.76 billion technology transfer program with Leonardo Helicopters.
- Polish technicians gained manufacturing expertise through embedded training at Leonardo’s Italian facility.
- The program includes domestic production of 27 additional helicopters and establishment of repair and maintenance capabilities.
- The multi-role AW149 features advanced weapon systems and observation equipment tailored for Polish military requirements.
