North Macedonia selects Leonardo helicopters

On 22 January, North Macedonian Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska made an announcement on national TV, saying four Leonardo AW149 and four AW169M helicopters are to be procured for an estimated EUR330 million. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (Armija na Republika Severna Makedonija: ARSM) have decided to acquire Italian helicopters to replace the country's Soviet-built airframes (Mi-8MT, Mi17V-5 and Mi-25V).

In securing the North Macedonian tender, Leonardo beat off competition from Airbus with the H145M and H225M, from Bell with the 412M, and from Lockheed Martin with the S-70 Black Hawk. According to Petrovska, the selection was made on the grounds of completeness, pricing, and the logistics and maintenance systems of the aircraft.

A government-to-government (G2G) agreement between North Macedonia and Italy will now be signed, with helicopter deliveries to follow 24–36 months later.

Photo: Leonardo Helicopters