US Navy receives first of anticipated 130 TH-73A training helos

The US Navy (USN) has received the first of up to 130 Leonardo TH-73A training helicopters that are expected to be contracted over the coming months, the manufacturer announced on 10 June.

The first of up to 130 TH-73A training helicopters was delivered to the US Navy on 10 June. (Leonardo)

The first USN-specific variant of the AW119Kx was delivered to the service during a ceremony at Leonardo's AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation facility in Pennsylvania, which was attended by senior company and navy leadership.

Having secured the TH-XX requirement to replace the USN's ageing fleet of Bell Jet Ranger-derived TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters, Leonardo has to date been contracted to deliver 68 TH-73As through to the end of 2022. All 130 helicopters are expected to be delivered by the end of 2024, to be used for the advanced training of USN, US Marine Corps (USMC), and US Coast Guard (USCG) undergraduate helicopter pilots. The TH-57 is set to be fully withdrawn from service by 2023.

In securing the TH-XX requirement, Leonardo beat off competition from Airbus Helicopters, which was offering the H135, and from Bell, which was offering the 429 GlobalRanger and the 407GXi. When it submitted its offer earlier in 2019, Leonardo noted that its TH-119 was the only single-engined Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)-certified helicopter in production.

As well as delivering its helicopter, Leonardo will also open a 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) centre in Milton, Florida, to provide customer support and maintenance services at Whiting Aviation Park, located directly across the airfield from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field where the TH-73 fleet will operate. The groundbreaking ceremony of this facility is scheduled for December 2021.