TH-73 trainer award: $176M

The Navy’s TH-57B/C Sea Ranger helicopters have served as an undergraduate trainer for multiple-service student pilots at NAS Whiting Field, Fla. The aircraft dates to the 1960s. The helos are increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain, which cuts into training time for helicopter and tilt-rotor student pilots. In addressing the issues, the Navy launched the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) program this year to replace the TH-57 fleet with a new undergraduate trainer, designated as the TH-73A. Navy is forecasting an annual requirement of more than 600 rotary wing and tilt-rotor pilots - a quantity expected to increase through 2040. On Jan. 13, the Navy awarded Leonardo's AgustaWestland Philadelphia (Pa.) Corp a $176,472,608 firm-fixed-price contract for the production and delivery of 32 TH-73A aircraft, initial spares, peculiar support equipment, flyaway kits, hoists, sling loads, data in excess of commercial form fit function/operations maintenance instructional training data as well as ancillary instructor pilot and maintenance personnel training. Work will be performed at Philadelphia (87%); Mineral Wells, Texas (5%); and various locations outside the U.S. (8%), and is expected to be completed in October 2021. The contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; five offers were received. (Source: Breaking Defense 01/10/20, and DoD 01/13/20) The legacy TH-57 is designed for a crew of one pilot and four students. The TH-73A will have spaces for a student-pilot and an instructor that will sit side-by-side and with dual controls. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=111833 Competitor Airbus Helicopters Inc. had promised to build its H135 variant in Columbus, Miss., where it manufacturers the Army's UH-72A Lakota, a helicopter based on the light, twin-engined civil EC145.