The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Leonardo’s Philadelphia Agustawestland Corp. a $171 million modification to an earlier firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract for the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System. The modification involves options for production and delivery of 36 additional TH-73A rotary wing aircraft over the 32 TH-73As covered by the initial contract. Work on the aircraft is expected to be completed by December 2022 in Philadelphia, PA. The compact TH-73A aircraft, along with spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, and services, is essential in training student aviators from the U. S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
U.S. Navy plans are for a total of 130 TH-73A rotary-wing aircraft (see figure), which has an expected service life of 30 years. The TH-73A aircraft are replacing 35-year-old TH-57-based Sea Ranger rotary-wing-aircraft still being used for advanced rotary wing and intermediate tilt-rotor training. The Contractor Logistics and Maintenance Support task order contract with Philadelphia Agustawestland Corp. takes advantage of the existing infrastructure, practices, and solutions found in the commercial sector. Much of the training will be provided by Flex Air Aviation, a subcontractor with a multitude of air services and training. It features a large team of air service specialists knowledgeable in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones.