Workers at the Somerset factory are upgrading the aircraft for the Canadian air force, a lucrative source of income for its owner, the Italian state-backed weapons maker Leonardo.
But Leonardo has its eyes on a bigger prize for Yeovil: after a drawn-out process, it has emerged as the single bidder for a £1bn contract to build new mediumsized helicopters to replace the Pumas used for decades by the Royal Air Force.
Yet with the UK carrying out a strategic defence review, some in the industry believe the purchase could be scrapped altogether by a government that has stressed the gloomy state of the public finances.
What happens next matters hugely for Britain's last remaining helicopter factory, Yeovil, and Britain's defence industry. In a local population of about 50,000 people - with several areas in the 20% most deprived wards in England Leonardo employs 3,300, many at above-average pay for the area.
This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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