Government watchdog rejects Airbus protest over helicopter contract

WASHINGTON — Leonardo has restarted work on the U.S. Navy’s new training helicopter after its competitor’s protest of the contract was rejected by the Government Accountability Office.

Airbus, which lost the competition in January, protested the award of the TH-73 that is slated to replace the Navy’s aged TH-57 Sea Ranger fleet.

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“On Tuesday, the GAO denied the protest of the Navy’s contract award of the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) program to Leonardo,” Leonardo said in a statement. “As a result, Leonardo has immediately resumed work on AHTS in Philadelphia, readying the next generation of U.S. Naval Aviators.”

The contract, which is going through Leonardo’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based AugustaWestland facility, is valued at about $648 million.

The first part of the contract was for $176.5 million and covered the first 32 helicopters.

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