Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the tender process for the New Medium Helicopters to replace the Puma fleet.

The second stage of the New Medium Helicopter competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK.

Only Leonardo Helicopters UK elected to submit a tender which has been evaluated but since the procurement process is still active, it is too early to assess the effectiveness of the competition.

Officials continue to consider the New Medium Helicopter business case as part of the Government’s approval process, with a decision to be made as part of the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.