On April 8, Leonardo announced the closing of the acquisition of Kopter Group AG (Kopter) from Lynwood (Schweiz). The purchase price, on a cash and debt free basis, consists of a $185 million fixed component plus an earn-out mechanism linked to certain milestones over the life of the program, starting from 2022.

ThE SH09, developed by Kopter Group,  offers technologies, cabin volume and performance of a twin-engine at the cost of a single-engine (Picture source: Kopter)

The acquisition of Kopter allows Leonardo to further strengthen its worldwide leadership and position in the rotorcraft sector, in line with the Industrial Plan’s objectives for the reinforcement of the core businesses.

Primarily based in Switzerland, Kopter has been operating since 2009, originally designated Marenco Swiss Helicopter and later rebranded as Kopter Group AG in 2018.

SH09 can be used for a variety applications (Picture source: Kopter)

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.

Within the Helicopter Division of Leonardo, Kopter will act as an autonomous legal entity and competence centre working in coordination with Leonardo.