MoU covering joint merger of helicopter divisions signed by Finmeccanica and GKN on 16 April 1998; heads of agreement 18 March 1999; details finalised (subject to regulatory approval) and name AgustaWestland announced 26 July 2000; company declared fully operational 12 February 2000.
Westland also contributed its 50 per cent share in EH 101, GKN's aerospace transmissions business and 50 per cent share in Aviation Training International (joint venture with Boeing to support British Army WAH-64 Apaches). Agusta also contributed half of EH 101, transmissions and aerostructures business and own shares in NH90 (32 per cent) and Bell/Agusta (45 per cent). Joint revenue in 2001 was US$2,100 million, and order backlog at January 2002 was US$6,400 million. Employees totalled 10,546 in mid-2001.
Together, the two companies have built over 7,100 helicopters for customers in more than 80 countries.
Wholly and part-owned subsidiaries are detailed below.
Finmeccanica:
- Agusta Aerospace Corporation (USA)
- Agusta Aerospace Services BV (Belgium)
- EHI Ltd (50 per cent)
- Bell/Agusta Aerospace Corporation (USA) (45 per cent)
- NHI sarl (27 per cent)
- other subsidiaries and holdings
GKN:
- Westland Industrial Products Ltd
- Westland Transmissions Ltd
- EHI Ltd (50 per cent)
- Aviation Training International Ltd (50 per cent)
- other subsidiaries and holdings
On 31 October 2001, AgustaWestland initiated a joint marketing effort with Lockheed Martin, under which the latter will promote a US market version of the EHI EHI101, known as the US101.