TH-XX Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS)
The TH-XX aircraft would replace the TH-57B/C aircraft currently utilized by the United States (U.S.) Navy for advanced helicopter training for undergraduate pilots. NAVAIR anticipates the award of a single firm fixed price contract from the issuance of this full and open competition solicitation, with the total procurement of 130 commercial aircraft through a base and up to four options over a five-year period. Contract award is anticipated in the 1st Quarter of Government fiscal year 2020.
Airbus planned to submit a proposal to fulfill the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) with a platform based on its H135 twin. Airbus planned to leverage its experience with the UH-72A Lakota for the AHTS program. If Airbus were awarded the AHTS program, 130 EC135s for the Navy would be built on the Columbus final assembly line, alongside the Lakota. Leonardo-Finmeccanica launched a new variant of AgustaWestland AW119 single engine helicopter designated the TH-119 during the Navy League Sea-Air Space Exhibition (Washington D.C., May 16-18, 2016), to meet US Navy's helicopter pilot training needs. The TH-119 would be built at the company’s Philadelphia facility.
Neither Boeing nor Lockheed Martin would compete to build the Navy's next training helicopter, company spokeswomen told Inside Defense in late January 2019 following the request for proposals' publication. Several companies began posturing for the competition to produce the Advanced Helicopter Training System in April 2018 during the Sea-Air-Space symposium. Boeing and Lockheed had both declined to comment at that time. Boeing's choice to not compete follows the company's recent streak of wins in high-profile aircraft competitions.
The announcement, dated 28 January 2019, serves as issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP), N6134019R0007, for the procurement of the TH-XX aircraft. The IFR certified TH-XX aircraft would replace the TH-57B/C aircraft currently utilized by the United States (U.S.) Navy for advanced helicopter training for undergraduate pilots. NAVAIR anticipates the award of a single firm fixed price contract from the issuance of this full and open competition solicitation, with the total procurement of 130 commercial aircraft through a base and up to four options. Contract award is anticipated in the 1st Quarter of Government fiscal year 2020.
NAVAIR previously posted information to industry regarding the TH-XX requirement on FedBizOpps with reference to solicitation number "N6134017R9999" via a special notice on 01 June 2017 and several subsequent amendments. NAVAIR updated the solicitation number and posted information to industry regarding the TH-XX requirement on FedBizOpps with reference to the new solicitation number N6134019R0007 via a special notice on 21 September 2018 and subsequent amendments.
Information related to the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) requirements was previously posted under solicitation number N6134017R9999, US Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) Special Notice. The announcement, N6134019R0007, served to establish the AHTS Aircraft as a separate and distinct FedBizOpps posting for purposes of propagating Aircraft specific draft documents for industry comment and the subsequent issuance of the solicitation, and release the DRAFT TH-XX (aircraft only) Performance Work Statement for industry comment.
The Government intended to evaluate each proposal and award a contract after discussions to the responsible Offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, provides the best value to the Government, all factors considered. The fact that an Offeror may be initially included in the competitive range did not preclude the Government from excluding the Offeror’s proposal in a subsequent competitive range if the proposal is found to no longer have a reasonable chance of receiving award. Therefore, Offerors were cautioned that their offer should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a technical and cost/price standpoint. The Government would evaluate the Offeror’s written proposal in conjunction with the System Performance demonstration (SPD). Discussions would continue until the Government declares discussions to be completed.
The Offeror was to describe the capability of its proposed configuration to conduct simulated and actual instrument condition training for student naval aviators using a variety of instrument approach procedures in FAA airspace. The Offeror would also explain the capabilities of its proposed configuration to conduct Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN), Very-high Frequency Omni-directional Radio (VOR), Global Positioning System (GPS), and Instrument Landing System (ILS) with the ability to conduct communications on Very-High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) communication bands simultaneously. The Offeror would describe how its proposed configuration enables conducting simulated emergency procedures with simulated system failures during instrument flight training. The Offeror would explain the system level implementation of the following proposed attributes: Integrated Display Control (AV-050), Redundant Dual Band Radios (AV-054), and Independent Declutter (AV-140).
The Offeror was to describe the capability of its proposed system to enable navigation training in visual meteorological conditions at various altitudes including low level flight altitudes in both single aircraft and formation operations. The Offeror would detail how its configuration allows the combination of aircraft systems, visual references, and appropriate navigation data during navigation training, where such training requires crew resource management in the execution of pilot and copilot duties from either crew position, simultaneously, while conducting navigation and flight duties. The Offeror would explain the system level implementation of the following proposed attributes: Lockable Saved Flight Plan Database (AV-089), Map Overlay Capability (AV-095), and FMS (AV-096).
The Offeror would describe the ability of its proposed configuration to enable warfighting skills training which includes confined area landings, external load operations, search and rescue operations, energy management, and night vision (single ship and formation) operations. The Offeror would explain its proposed aircraft system’s compatibility with external load, hoist, and search and rescue training where aircrew would be restrained using an aircrew harness attached to an airframe hard point, conducting aircrew duties from either side of the aircraft, and continuously connected to the internal communications system. The Offeror would explain its proposed configuration’s ability to fly consistent profiles terminating in a stable hover out of ground effect over a defined reference point in support of search and rescue operations. The Offeror would explain the system level implementation of the following proposed attributes: Autonomous Approach to a HOGE (AV-080) and Configurable Passenger Cabin (AV-119).
The Government expects to select one Offeror on the basis of its proposal providing the best value to the Government, all factors considered. "Best value" means the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Government's estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement. Offerors are advised that proposals meeting the solicitation requirements with the lowest proposed price may not be selected for an award if award to a higher-priced Offeror is determined to be more beneficial to the Government. However, the perceived benefits of the higher-priced proposal must merit the additional price.
Five proposals were submitted for the contract. The new firm fixed price TH-73A contract was awarded on a best-value tradeoff basis with a base and three one-year options. The base year contract is for $176.5M for 32 aircraft. The total contract value is $648.1M for the procurement of 130 aircraft. Helicopter deliveries are scheduled to begin in calendar year 2020 and continue through calendar year 2024. The U.S. Navy announced on Jan. 13, 2020 that AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (Leonardo) was awarded a contract for $176.5M for the production of 32 TH-73A helicopters in support of the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) program.
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