Bengaluru: Finmeccanica-owned helicopter manufacturer Augusta Westland has signed an MoU with the Tata Group to establish a joint venture company for AW119 helicopter assembly, completion and delivery to customers worldwide. AgustaWestland will retain responsibility for marketing and sales.

The new facility's first helicopter delivery is scheduled for 2011, production will eventually rise to 30 units a year. The joint venture company seeks to bid for the Indian armed forces' Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter programme. In July 2008, India issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 197 military light utility helicopters, of which 133 would be deployed by the army and 64 by the air force.

The RFP was sent to AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter, Kamov and Sikorsky. The new helicopters will replace 1970s-vintage Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Chetak and Cheetah helicopters.