Leonardo: MoU with Thailand for AW101 technology transfer
Rome - Leonardo has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Thailands Institute of Military Technology. This foresees a technology transfer and maintenance, repairs and revision capacity, related to the potential purchase of AW101 helicopters destined for Thailands Police, Army, Air Force and Navy. The MoU was signed by the interim Director General of Thailands Defense Technology Institute (DTI) Colonel Tawiwat Veeraklaew, and by the sales director for Asia and Oceania of Leonardo Helicopters Brian McEachen, during the 2017 Bangkok Defense & Security Show (November 6-9).
"We are honored to sign this MoU, which potentially offers an enormous boost for our trade with Thailands Armed Forces and for our partnership with the country. This will also permit the development of logistical support in loco", added John Ponsonby, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK. "I would also like to thank the British Government, and in particular the Department of International Trade, for its support in the finalization of this MoU, and for its commitment in promoting the AW101, a helicopter without equal on the market and an ideal solution for satisfying the wide range of requirements of Thailands Armed Forces." Leonardo is a major partner for Thailand, supplying its navy, air force and ground forces. The company has also supplied radar systems for land and naval use, plus helicopters and radar for marine patrolling. On the civil market, Leonardo has supplied the country ever since the 1970s, especially through the supply of air traffic control systems. Over the last decade it has implemented various different national defense programs. These have included the supply of RAT31D and KRONOS radar, the HALO location system for hostile artillery, and optronic systems for Scorpion light tanks. In the helicopter sector, Thailands Armed Forces operate with various Leonardo models, in particular the AW139 for the Army and the Super Lynx 300 for the Navy.