AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, has started production of Future Lynx helicopters, following confirmation of the programme by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The UK MoD also intends to sign a contract with AgustaWestland for the upgrade of 12 Lynx AH Mk.9 helicopters, currently in service with the British Army, to significantly improve their performance in hot and high operating conditions. The first four will be delivered in 2009 and the remaining eight in 2010.

Under the Future Lynx programme, which continues to be on time and on budget, 62 helicopters will be supplied in total: 34 for the British Army and 28 for the Royal Navy. The first aircraft is currently on the assembly line at AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil (UK) and the maiden flight of the first helicopter is foreseen in late 2009. Deliveries will begin in 2011 and the helicopters will come into operation in 2014 with the British Army and in 2015 with the Royal Navy.

Another Finmeccanica company, SELEX Galileo, is also involved in the Future Lynx programme. It is responsible for supplying important equipment for the Navy variant of the helicopter, including Seaspray 7000E AESA (Advanced Electronically Scanned Array) radar and the Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System.

Future Lynx is one of the UK Armed Forces' largest programmes, and with the contract to upgrade the 12 Lynx helicopters, once again reaffirms the successful partnering engagement between the Finmeccanica company and the UK Ministry of Defence.