The TH-73A will be assigned to Training Air Wing 5 on base and will replace the TH-57B/C Sea Ranger as the undergraduate rotary and tilt-rotor helicopter trainer for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Michelle Tucker.
Philadelphia, 20/04/2022 – Leonardo welcomes the $ 29 million USD contract award by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for new AW119Kx helicopter in the framework of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Israel, with the US Army Contracting Command as the contracting activity.
The aircraft will be fully produced at Leonardo’s facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Israel’s Ministry of Defence is already an Leonardo AW119Kx customer. In 2019 a contract was signed for a comprehensive range of integrated defense training capabilities, which included seven AW119Kx single engine helicopters to be produced in the United States. The comprehensive training program also includes full flight simulators and other training devices, newly built facilities and a 20-year support package.
The multitole Leonardo AW119 is the best-in-class single engine helicopter available. Has proven increasingly successful in recent years in the world’s defense market for both training and operational mission profiles.
In 2020, the US Department of Defense awarded a contract for up to 130 AW119’s (TH-73A) to replace the aging Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger (based in the Bell 206 Jet Ranger) as the primary training helicopter (Advanced Helicopter Training System) for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, with 104 units on order to date.
Additionally, the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aerea Portuguesa) presently uses their fleet of five AW119s for training, medical evacuations (medevac), troop transport and short range maritime Search And Rescue (SAR), and may be used for firefighting.
The number of AW119 operators continues to grow as the type has been chosen for defense, homeland security and law enforcement missions by operators in countries such as USA, Portugal, Finland, Latvia, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Republic of Korea, among others.
The versatile AW119 features both VFR and IFR capable core avionic systems for enhanced situational awareness, mission effectiveness and safety, giving operators different options to meet their specific needs.
The type delivers outstanding overall performance with a strong power margin and the largest cabin in its category, able to accommodate up to six passengers depending on configuration.
Over 470 Leonardo Helicopters AW119s have been sold to date.
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