TSAMTO, June 21. The Leonardo Group announced the official handover ceremony of the first TH-73A training helicopter to the US Navy command at the AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation facility in Philadelphia.
The contract, worth approximately $ 177 million, for the production and delivery to the U.S. Navy of 32 TH-73A helicopters, an initial set of spare parts, special equipment, and support and training services, was signed with Leonardo in 2020.
The agreement was concluded based on the results of a tender for the supply of the TH-XX helicopter to replace the outdated TH-57B/C "Sea Ranger", which should be withdrawn from service by 2023. Leonardo was ahead of Airbus Helicopters, which offered the H135 helicopter, and Bell with the Bell-429 "Globalranger" and Bell-407GXi.
In November 2020, the US Department of Defense exercised an option to the base contract, providing for the delivery of 36 additional helicopters by the end of 2022 at a cost of $ 171 million. The total requirement of the US Navy for training helicopters is 130 units. As planned, their delivery will last until 2024.
The TH-73A will be used for training pilots of the Navy, Marine Corps, US Coast Guard, as well as NATO allies.
The TH-73A is developed on the basis of the AW-119Kx commercial helicopter, can be used for initial pilot training, as well as used to improve their skills. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT-6 engine, a state-of-the-art digital avionics by Genesys Aerosystems.
