AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $159,421,443 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of 36 TH-73A “Thrasher” training helicopter Lot III and initial spares in support of the Advanced Helicopter Training System program. Work is expected to be completed in December 2023. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for $159,421,443 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
In January 2020, AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (Leonardo) TH-119 Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) was selected to fulfill advanced rotary wing and intermediate tilt-rotor training requirements for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The TH-73A, based on the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certified variant of the popular commercial AW119Kx, is perfectly suited for initial training flights, but also capable of advanced training. With a powerful and reliable Pratt & Whitney PT-6 engine, dual safety, and hydraulic systems, and advanced digital avionics by Genesys Aerosystems, the TH-73 can perform every maneuver in the U.S. Navy’s training syllabus for a seamless transition from basic maneuvers to advanced operational training.
The TH-73A is a variant of the commercial Leonardo TH-119 helicopter. The TH-73A AHTS is the replacement for 35-year-old TH-57Bs and TH-57Cs, which will begin sundown in FY22 and concludes in the FY24 timeframe. The TH-73A incorporates a modern avionics suite with a fully integrated flight management system, automatic flight control system, and independent, digital cockpit displays to both pilot stations. It boasts increased performance in power, speed, payload, and endurance over the Sea Ranger, making it comparable to fleet aircraft. These upgrades will help bridge capability and capacity gaps to better prepare newly winged naval aviators as they transition to fleet replacement squadrons for postgraduate training. In addition to new helicopters, the full Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) includes aircrew training services that provide availability on new simulators, a modernized curriculum, and a new contractor logistics support contract for Thrasher maintenance and flight line support.
US Navy’s instructor pilot training for the new TH-73A Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) began in June with the first two instructor pilots from Training Air Wing (TAW) 5 getting classroom and hands-on experience at the AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (Leonardo) facility in Philadelphia. The helicopter will be assigned to Training Air Wing (TW) 5 and will replace Chief of Naval Air Training’s (CNATRA) TH-57B/C Sea Ranger as the undergraduate training helicopter for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Leonardo Helicopters is contracted to deliver 31 additional Thrashers this calendar year for a total of 130 through 2024 before the Sea Ranger’s scheduled sundown in 2025 and will provide the Navy the capacity to train several hundred aviation students per year. Leonardo Helicopters is contracted to deliver 31 additional Thrashers this calendar year for a total of 130 through 2024 before the Sea Ranger’s scheduled sundown in 2025 and will provide the Navy the capacity to train several hundred aviation students per year.
