The UK Ministry of Defence has granted Leonardo a £1 billion contract for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) program. The UK Armed Forces will be equipped with 23 AW149 helicopters, which will be constructed and delivered by the company from its Yeovil facility. The United Kingdom is also establishing technological leadership in unmanned and autonomous flight through additional investment in Proteus, the first autonomous helicopter developed in collaboration with the Royal Navy. Roberto Cingolani, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo, stated, "We welcome the UK Government's decision to award Leonardo the NMH contract to supply advanced helicopters to the UK Armed Forces, as well as confirmation of continued investment in autonomous flight technologies".