Leonardo says it will build new Florida aviation maintenance facility, hinges on TH-73 contract award

Leonardo announced today it plans to build an aircraft maintenance facility near Naval Air Station Whiting Field in the Florida panhandle contingent on winning the service’s training helicopter competition.

The company "will construct an approximately 100,000 [square-foot] facility in Whiting Aviation Park . . . where all helicopter pilots for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are trained," according to the statement.

"The facility will provide 24/7 service including spare parts, warranty processing and renewal, technical and product engineering and component and airframe repair," the statement continues.

The competition to provide the service's next training helicopter, dubbed TH-73, is expected to conclude with a contract award during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. The Navy's latest budget books peg the program at $1.1 billion for 109 aircraft.

Leonardo, Bell and Airbus have all publicly stated they will make offerings based off their commercially available aircraft. Inside Defense first reported in January Boeing and Lockheed Martin do not plan to compete.

That award however could be delayed if Congress passes a short-term continuing resolution, according to a Sept. 20 Pentagon statement.