The US Navy has begun instructor pilot training for its new TH-73A Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) which is being acquired from Leonardo.
Last month, the first two instructor pilots from Training Air Wing (TAW) 5 started collecting classroom and hands-on experience at the AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (Leonardo) facility in Philadelphia.
According to the service, the TH-73A AHTS will reach initial operational capability in 2021 and will provide the training tools for the next generations of rotary and tilt-rotor pilots for the US and select allied nations.
AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (Leonardo) will produce 130 helicopters to fulfill rotary wing and intermediate tilt-rotor training requirements for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard through 2050.
The navy selected the TH-73A in January this year, picking Leonardo’s solution over those offered by Airbus and Bell. The total contract value is $648.1M for the procurement of 130 aircraft.
TH-73A is replacing the navy’s ageing TH-57 training helicopter fleet.
