Helicopters Leonardo acquires Kopter Group AG

The closing of the acquisition of has been confirmed by Leonardo Helicopters and Kopter Group AG. According to the companies, the purchase prices consists of a fixed component of $185 million and an earn out mechanism, which is linked to milestones over the life of the programme. This mechanism will start in 2022.

With this acquisition, Leonardo further strengthens its worldwide presence and leadership in the rotorcraft sector. This development is in line with the Industrial Plan´s objectives for the reinforcement of the core businesses, Leonardo stated in a news release.

Kopter will be within the Helicopter Division of Leonardo and will act as an autonomous legal entity and competence. Of course, the company is working in coordination with Leonardo and is following main objectives from the Italian manufacturer.

Founded in 2009, Kopter has been operating as Marenco Swiss Helicopter for over 10 years. In 2018, the company was rebranded to today´s name. The Kopter Group AG produces the SH09 helicopter, which combines state-of-the-art technologies with safety features.

In a statement, Leonardo wrote: "Leonardo will leverage innovation, new capabilities and engineering skills which have been developed by the young, agile Swiss Company. Kopter’s SH09, a new single engine helicopter, is a perfect fit for Leonardo’s state of the art product range offering opportunities for future technological developments."

"This new product will benefit from Leonardo’s industrial know-how, service and training experience and commercial network, while allowing to achieve an even greater range of offer and market footprint. The Swiss company’s complementary competencies will boost future developments towards more disruptive technologies, mission capabilities and performances, including innovative hybrid/electrical propulsion solutions," the manufacturer concluded.