GAO rejects Airbus helo protest

WASHINGTON - Leonardo has restarted work on the U.S. Navy’s new training helicopter after its competitor’s protest of the contract was rejected May 12 by the Government Accountability Office. Airbus, which lost the competition in January, protested the award. The Navy chose Leonardo’s TH-119, a military derivative of the civilian AW-119, for its next training helicopter – the TH-73A - in an open competition called Advanced Helicopter Training System. The Navy ordered 32 helicopters with the total procurement expected to reach 130. The next pilot-training helo is scheduled to replace the TH-57 Sea Ranger fleet, which is primarily used for pilot training at NAS Whiting Field, Fla. After GAO rejected the protest, Leonardo - HQ’d in Italy but produces helicopters out of Philadelphia - Leonardo released a statement: “As a result, Leonardo has immediately resumed work on AHTS in Philadelphia, readying the next generation of U.S. Naval Aviators.” The contract, which is going through Leonardo’s Philadelphia-based AugustaWestland facility, is valued at about $648M. The initial part of the contract was for $176.5M for 32 helos. (Source: Defense News 05/14/20) https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/05/14/government-watchdog-rejects-airbus-protest-over-us-navy-training-helicopter-contract/