AHI protests TH-73A contract

The animus between Airbus (AHI) and Leonardo over government contracts continues in the wake of the Navy’s award of the TH-73A training helicopter program to Leonardo. The Navy announced on Jan. 13 it had selected Leonardo to provide up to 130 TH-73A training helicopters in a potential deal worth more than $680M. AHI proposed its H135 light twin for the mission – at Columbus, Miss., - and filed a protest on Feb. 3 contesting the award. In statement to AIN, an AHI spokesman said, “While we respect the Navy’s right to choose the asset that best meets its needs, we believe that certain technical aspects of our proposal were not assessed accurately.” (Source: AIN 02/10/20) https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-02-10/airbus-protests-leonardos-us-navy-training-helo-deal.