As reported by ANSA, the Latvian Border Guard has signed a contract with Leonardo S.p.A. for the purchase of three medium-class multi-role helicopters worth €80 million.
The contract, part of the European Union’s SAFE programme, includes not only the aircraft but also their initial maintenance, the supply of maintenance equipment and staff training. Speaking on the sidelines of the contract signing, Guntis Pujats, head of the Latvian Border Guard, stated: “The signing of this contract is an important and historic moment. The security situation in the region requires modern and multi-purpose solutions. The new helicopters will significantly strengthen the operational capabilities of the Border Guard and enable a more effective response to both hybrid threats and crisis situations, as well as day-to-day tasks.”
The event was also attended by the Head of the State Border Guard, General Guntis Pujāts; the State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Dimitrijs Trofimovs; the Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Kaspars Āboliņš; Brigadier General Antonio Vivolo, Director of the Global Air Combat Programme at the Armaments Directorate of the Italian Ministry of Defence; the Italian Defence Attaché, Colonel Giovanni Trebisonda; and the Italian Ambassador to Latvia, H.E. Alessandro Monti.
