US DoD orders a further 36 TH-73A helicopters

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has exercised an option for the purchase of 36 more TH-73A training helicopters from manufacturer Leonardo.

The new order, which amounts to US$ 159.4 million, will increase the number of TH-73As purchased under the contract to 104 aircraft.

The helicopters will be used employed to train student aviators from the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and will be manufactured at Leonardo’s Philadelphia site.

The new order is the third batch of aircraft to be purchased under the contract. An initial order of 32 helicopters worth $176 million was made alongside the awarding of the contract to Leonardo in January 2020. A second lot of 36 aircraft, worth $171 million, was later optioned in November 2020. The first helicopter was delivered under the contract in June 2021.

The TH-73A is based on Leonardo’s single engine AW119Kx helicopter, and features a Pratt & Whitney PT6B engine and Genesys Aerosystems avionics. The TH-73A also boasts an airspeed of 282km/h with a range of 661km, and has a capacity for a pilot, a co-pilot and three passengers.