Leonardo celebrates with Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace the inauguration of the new Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) and transmission testing center for the AW101 and NH90 helicopters in Kongsberg, Norway. The new facility will ensure the availability of this advanced type of support for both the Norwegian AW101 and NH90 and for the helicopter fleets operating in Scandinavia and other geographic areas. A new multi-role test bench will allow transmissions to be tested before their reintroduction into service, thus reducing the time and costs of maintenance, repair and overhaul activities.
The MRO center and the new collaboration agreement, with a duration of 25 years, are in line with Leonardo's industrial participation commitments established in the context of the helicopter supply of the NH90. In addition, the Kongsberg center will be involved in providing support services for the Norwegian 16 AW101 fleet used for search and rescue tasks.
Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, said: "We are pleased to announce this new collaboration agreement with Kongsberg, which will see us work together for the next 25 years with the aim of ensuring efficient support services in the country. for Norwegian AW101 and NH90 and for those of other customers in the region. The opening of this structure and the agreement with Kongsberg confirm that Leonardo's commitment to Norway has a long-term horizon, in line with the industrial participation plan announced at the time of signing the respective supply contracts. We look forward to working together to ensure the level of service expected by our customers. "
“We are proud of this new and advanced facility for helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul. The increasingly solid collaboration with Leonardo also confirms Kongsberg's positioning as a leader in the provision of these services in Norway and guarantees support for the Norwegian fleet but also for international customers in the country ”, said Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace. Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace and Leonardo have been collaborating for over 30 years for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the transmissions of the Sea King and Lynx helicopters.