US Department of Defense exercises options for 36 Leonardo TH-73A helicopters.

Leonardo welcomes the announcement made by the U.S. Department of Defense to award AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp. a $159.4 million USD firm-fixed price modification to the previously awarded contract for the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System. This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of 36 TH-73A helicopters Lot III and initial spares.

Follow Air Recognition on Google News at this link

The TH-73A will be used to train the next generation of student aviators from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard (Picture source: Leonardo)

In January 2020 Leonardo, through AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract valued at $176 million for the production and delivery of an initial 32 TH-73A helicopters, along with spares, support, dedicated equipment, and specific pilot and maintenance training services.

In November 2020, the second lot of aircraft were ordered through a $171 million contract modification, an additional 36. The lot III brings the total number of aircraft on order to 104. The total requirement is for 130 aircraft.

The TH-73A Advanced Helicopter Training System will replace the 35-year-old TH-57 training system to meet advanced rotary wing and intermediate tilt-rotor training requirements for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard through 2050. The Contractor Logistics and Maintenance Support task order contract, awarded Oct. 20, 2020, promotes and takes advantage of the existing commercial infrastructure, practices, and solutions found in the commercial sector.

The TH-73A will be used to train the next generation of student aviators from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and is only made at Leonardo’s FAA-certified Part 21 Production Line in Philadelphia, PA.