US Navy buys 32 TH-73A helicopters

[notar]

Leonardo awarded contract for 32 TH-73A helicopters ( Agusta 119 Koala variant ) by U.S. Department of Defense

Leonardo, through AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract valued at USD 176,472,608 for the production and delivery of 32 TH-73A helicopters, initial spares, support and dedicated equipment, and specific pilot and maintenance training services.

This contract, as Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds, was competitively procured via a request for proposal of various offers. Work will be mainly performed at Leonardo’s Philadelphia facility and is expected to be completed in October 2021.

Alessandro Profumo, Chief Executive Officer Leonardo said, “On the cusp of celebrating nearly 40 years of operating in Philadelphia, Leonardo is thrilled the U.S. Navy has selected our TH-119-based offer and us as a local and long term partner. We are proud to be a core contributor to the future of U.S. defense.”

[Stratofreighter]

...so Agusta Westland won the contest, and the above is the first contract...

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopter ... 23.article

The US Navy (USN) has picked Leonardo’s light, singled-engined TH-119 for its next trainer helicopter.

The service plans to replace its aging fleet of Bell TH-57B/C Sea Rangers with 130 examples of the TH-119.

The USN announced the winner of the Advanced Helicopter Training System TH-73A contest on 13 January 2020.

TH-119 helicopters sold to the USN will be rebranded as TH-73As.

The deal represents a hard-fought win for Leonardo,
who defeated
Bell’s light, singe-engined 407GXi
and
Airbus Helicopters’ light, twin-engined H135.

[notar]

The total contract value is $648.1 million for the procurement of 130 aircraft.

Helicopter deliveries are scheduled to begin in calendar year 2020 and continue through calendar year 2024.

The Navy announced on January 13 it chose the Leonardo’s TH-119, based on the commercial Agusta Westland 119, over the Airbus H135 or Eurocopter 135 and the Bell 407GXi to replace the aging TH-57 Sea Rangers on which all Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard rotorcraft pilots are trained.

[Stratofreighter]

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopter ... 82.article

14 May 2020

he Government Accountability Office (GAO)
has denied Airbus Helicopter’s protest of the US Navy’s (USN) decision
to award the Advanced Helicopter Training System programme contract to Leonardo.

The protest was dismissed on 12 May, says Leonardo on 14 May 2020.

With the protest out of the way,
Leonardo plans to restart manufacturing of its light, singled-engined TH-119 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The military training helicopter is based on the civil AW119 helicopter,
which is also manufactured in Philadelphia.

Airbus Helicopters had put forward its light, twin-engined H135 for the USN trainer competition.
Bell put forward the light, singe-engined 407GXi.

The service awarded Leonardo the contract in January 2020.
The $648 million programme is to replace the USN’s aging fleet of Bell TH-57B/C Sea Rangers
with 130 examples of the TH-119.
Those helicopters will be rebranded TH-73As, the service’s name for its new trainer.

Helicopter deliveries were previously expected to start in 2020 and continue through 2024.

It was not disclosed whether the Airbus protest would delay that first delivery.

Leonardo declined to comment on the delivery schedule.
US Naval Air Systems Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopter ... 82.article