A new £165 million contract extension with defence firm Leonardo will ensure continued maintenance of the Royal Navy’s fleet of Merlin helicopters, securing 1,000 skilled jobs across the UK.
The deal covers the upkeep of 54 helicopters—30 Merlin Mk2 maritime patrol aircraft and 24 Mk4 amphibious support helicopters—and directly supports 200 jobs at Leonardo’s Yeovil facility in Somerset. Another 800 roles will be sustained across the broader UK supply chain, aligning with the government’s Plan for Change to strengthen national security and economic growth.
Merlin Mk2 helicopters play a vital role in anti-submarine warfare and are equipped with Sting-Ray torpedoes and M3M .50 calibre machine guns. In addition to submarine hunting, they carry out search and rescue missions, combat piracy and drug trafficking, and support humanitarian efforts. Their powerful radar systems also provide critical surveillance for carrier strike groups.
The Mk4 variant specializes in battlefield and amphibious operations, capable of transporting troops, conducting casualty evacuations, and lifting loads of up to 3.8 tonnes. These aircraft have recently participated in Operation CLOCKWORK in Norway and will feature in the upcoming Carrier Strike Group (CSG25) deployment.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, said:
“Our fleet of world-class Merlin helicopters provide the Royal Navy with a vital advantage over our adversaries, keeping our carrier strike groups safe and enhancing their battle-winning capability.
This investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to maintaining cutting-edge defence capabilities that keep us safe, while utilising defence as an engine for economic growth, supporting 1,000 well-paid jobs across the UK”.
Additional roles will be supported at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, reinforcing the defence sector’s importance to regional economies. With 434,000 jobs supported nationwide, the sector remains central to the UK’s security and prosperity. The announcement follows the government's pledge to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with plans to reach 3% in the next Parliament.
Mark Langrill, DE&S Director Rotary Wing and Uncrewed Air Systems, said:
“We are pleased to continue our successful partnership with Leonardo Helicopters in ensuring that the Royal Navy’s fleet of Merlin helicopters remain in optimal condition.
This contract extension will strengthen our ongoing collaboration and contribute to the security and economic growth of our nation, whilst ensuring high levels of aircraft availability and sustaining highly skilled jobs across the UK”.
Nigel Colman, Managing Director, Leonardo Helicopters UK, said:
“We’re extremely proud to have provided the UK’s AW101 Merlin fleet from the Home of British Helicopters in Yeovil.
Working closely with the Ministry of Defence and Royal Navy, we’re keeping the Merlin fleet supported and available, so it’s ready to fly whenever and wherever it’s called upon.
At the same time, we’re looking towards how Merlin will be supported the in years to come under the Rotary Wing Enterprise (RWE) agreement, which will transform how support will be delivered across the whole UK rotary fleet”. Photo: LA(PHOT) Dave Jenkins/MOD, Wikimedia commons.