The last helicopter plant in Britain is likely to close.

Britain's last helicopter factory, owned by Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo, is at risk of closure due to a long-term lack of government contacts, the Financial Times reported , citing the company's CEO, Roberto Cingolani.

According to the newspaper, this could happen if the company does not receive a billion-pound contract (approximately $1.3 billion – Lenta.ru note ), which will be allocated to replace the United Kingdom's decommissioned combat helicopters.

The Leonardo plant in Yeovil, Somerset , is reportedly in question. According to the CEO, the company "can't subsidize Yeovil forever" as it hasn't received any contracts from the British government for 14 years. Cingolani noted that he had recently been in contact with UK Defence Secretary John Healey to maintain progress, and they expect a funding decision by the end of this year.

The Telegraph previously reported that Britain had come out in favor of jointly using nuclear weapons with Germany . This initiative came from the leadership of the UK Ministry of Defence.