Rotorcraft
Leonardo Encouraged by Navair Helicopter Trainer RFP
Leonardo thinks its TH-119 single is a more cost effective training helicopter for the U.S. Navy.

Leonardo thinks its TH-119 single stands an excellent shot of winning the derby to replace the Navy’s ancient fleet of Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger training helicopters. This week Navair—the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command—issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a new fleet of 130 training helicopters. The contract will be awarded early next year. Airbus already has proposed its H135 light twin for the mission, and the U.S. Army already uses Airbus’s UH-72A medium twin as its primary trainer. However, Andrew Gappy, program manager for Leonardo’s TH-119 single, thinks that aircraft’s 25 percent lower cost profile compared to a light twin will provide the Navy with a superior solution while fulfilling the RFP requirements. “I think they [Navair] wrote a pretty good RFP,” Gappy said.