Poland’s First Locally Built AW149 Helicopter Takes Flight

Poland's first domestically assembled AW149 armed utility helicopter has made its maiden flight, marking a key step in the country’s ongoing military modernization program.

The flight took place on 14 April at the PZL-Świdnik facility, Leonardo's Polish subsidiary, and was officially announced on 24 April.

This helicopter is the first of 27 units set to be produced in Poland under a 2022 contract that calls for a total of 32 AW149s. The remaining five were built in Italy, with the first three already delivered to Poland in January 2024. These helicopters are now in operational use with the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade.

Deliveries of the Polish-built helicopters will continue through 2029, replacing the ageing Mil Mi-2 ‘Hoplite’ and some variants of the W-3PL Głuszec. The new aircraft will be armed with Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles.

The AW149 is designed for battlefield operations such as troop transport, medical evacuation, and search and rescue. It is part of a wider push by Poland to modernize its rotary-wing fleet. Other components of this plan include the acquisition of eight loaned AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters from the U.S. Army, ahead of a larger order for 96 newbuild Apaches. Poland is also expected to receive four AW101 helicopters for maritime operations, 22 land-based variants, and possibly up to 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.