BUDAPEST -- Airbus Helicopters and the Hungarian Government have selected the town of Gyula in the Békés County as the site for a new aerospace enterprise in Hungary. Gyula is located in the country’s eastern part. The new installation will be built up from scratch and will be the core of an emerging Hungarian aeronautics cluster. This was announced in Budapest by Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, and Gáspár Maróth, Government Commissioner for national defence industry and defence development and coordination of armament modernization. End of 2018, Airbus Helicopters and Hungary had signed a Memorandum of Agreement to create an industrial cooperation for long term aviation projects. 

MARIGNANE – The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, has announced that the launch of the Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger; HIL) programme has been brought forward to 2021. The HIL programme, for which the Airbus Helicopters’ H160 was selected in 2017, was initially scheduled for launch in 2022 by the current military budget law. Launching the programme earlier will enable delivery of the first H160Ms to the French Armed Forces to be advanced to 2026. 

BERLIN – Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), formally responded to the German Air Force "Schwerer Transporthubschrauber" (STH) Program call for competition. Sikorsky expects to offer the most modern heavy lift helicopter in production, the CH-53K King Stallion, in response to the official Request for Proposals, which is expected this summer. The new STH heavy lifter will allow the Bundeswehr to move troops and equipment more quickly, safely and effectively than ever before. 

SMi’s 5th annual Helicopter Technology Central & Eastern Europe conference, returning to Prague on 22nd-23rd May, has welcomed Airbus to its gold sponsor line-up, joining Bell and Leonardo. Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018, it generated revenues of €64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

Two approved foreign military sales (FMS) proposals by the U.S. State Department indicate the direction the Czech Republic wants to take as it seeks to phase out the Army of the Czech Republic’s (ACR) existing helicopter inventory in favor of more modern, non-Russian alternatives. 
 

WASHINGTON --- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Czech Republic of four AH-1Z attack helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $205 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. 
 

WASHINGTON --- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Czech Republic of twelve UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $800 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. 
 

ŚWIDNIK, Poland --- Leonardo announced today that it has signed a contract valued at approximately 380 million EUR (1.65 bn PLN) that will significantly enhance the Polish Navy’s helicopter capability. 
 

SMi reports: In under 4 weeks’ time, Helicopter Technology Central & Eastern Europe is opening its doors to heads of Air Force and Helicopter Programme Managers in Prague. There’s less than 4 weeks left until the 5th annual Helicopter Technology Central & Eastern Europe conference takes place in Prague, Czech Republic on 22nd-23rd May.

With the delivery of the first two AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopters, Leonardo and the Italian National Fire Corps (Vigili del Fuoco, part of the Ministry of the Interior) announced a major step forward in strengthening their collaboration delivering advanced, more effective emergency response services in Italy. 

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson bid farewell to Army aviators as they took off for Estonia, where they will be training alongside NATO forces working to reassure our allies and deter our adversaries. 
 

SMi reports: The Hungarian Air Force are set to discuss the recent developments in their H145M and H225M procurement at Helicopter Technology CEE this May. The 5th Annual Helicopter Technology Central and Eastern Europe Conference is returning to Prague, Czech Republic on the 22nd-23rd May 2019. SMi Group are pleased to announce that GMRE have recently signed up as the latest sponsor.

The Offset Agreement, signed by Leonardo MW Ltd, provides for establishing critical in-country maintenance capabilities and precedes a contract for the supply of AW101 military helicopters

Reykjavik, Airbus Helicopters is supporting the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG) with the entry into service of two Airbus H225 heavy search and rescue (SAR) helicopters as the first step in a renewal of the agency’s helicopter fleet. 

SMi Reports: Senior leaders from the Czech Air Force and Armed Forces to discuss key updates on the procurement of modern multirole helicopters at Helicopter Technology CEE this May in Prague. SMi’s 4th Annual Helicopter Technology Central and Eastern Europe conference will be returning to Prague, Czech Republic on the 22nd and 23rd May 2019.

SMi Group Reports: Senior military officials from the US Army Aviation Center and British Army are set to present at Helicopter Technology Central and Eastern Europe in May. SMi's 5th Annual Helicopter Technology Central and Eastern Europe conference is returning to Prague, Czech Republic on the 22nd-23rd May 2019 as Europe’s leading regional event focused on helicopter technology.

On 27 February 2019, the representatives of PGZ’s WSK „PZL-Kalisz” S.A. and Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów S.A. reached an understanding on the remaining key matters that are to lead to the conclusion of a preliminary agreement on the sale of Aircraft Engine Plant in Rzeszów. 
 

Wildcat and Apache helicopters will be deployed to Estonia this year, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced at a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels. 
 

SMi Reports: Czech Air Force set to give keynote host-nation presentations at the 4th annual Helicopter Technology Central and Eastern Europe conference, taking place in Prague on 22nd-23rd May 2019. As Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic States continue to be a key focus for defence equipment upgrades, the rotary fleet remains a key asset in both domestic and international military operations. Therefore, a focused conference is essential to ensure continued advancement of capability, equipment, and joint interoperability.

MIELEC, Poland --- The Polish Minister of Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak, has today confirmed an order for four Polish-built Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to provide an enhanced capability to Poland’s Special Operations Forces (SOF). Production of the aircraft will begin immediately with delivery of all four aircraft by the end of this year. 
 

BELGRADE --- Russia will supply seven Mi-35 and three Mi-17 helicopters to Serbia, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in his address to the nation following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Belgrade. 
 

ASTANA, Kazakhstan --- A contract was signed today in Astana to organize the large-scale assembly of Mi-8AMT / Mi-171 helicopters between NK Kazakhstan Engineering of the Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aviation Repair Plant No. 405 and the Russian Helicopters company of Russian State Corporation Rostec. 
 

SMi’s Helicopter Technology Central and Eastern Europe conference is set to make its return this year to Prague, Czech Republic on the 22nd and 23rd May 2019, for its 4th year running. The two-day event, which recently welcomed Gold Sponsor Leonardo to the 2019 sponsor line-up, will host an international gathering of senior military experts from Central and Eastern European countries, who will present their current national situation in terms of helicopter technology, and will have the chance to meet and cooperate with allied and potential third-party partners to help support their helicopter capabilities.