Export regulators in Washington, DC have approved the Philippines to acquire new trainer helicopters from the US subsidiary of Leonardo Helicopters.
Authorities at the US Department of State on 15 April endorsed a $120 million package requested by Manila covering Leonardo TH-73A helicopters, simulators and other related support.
Operated by the US Navy as the Thrasher, the TH-73A will for the Philippines “serve as the primary method of improving pilot training and skills, thus helping to ensure the development of a proficient rotary wing aviator corps”, according to the state department.
The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval notice does not reveal how many aircraft are included in the package.
However, in 2022 the US Navy signed a contract with Leonardo for $115 million covering the acquisition of 26 TH-73As. FMS approval notices typically use a high estimate of the dollar value, with the ultimate figure usually coming in lower.
Final terms of a deal, including price, order size and delivery date, will have to be negotiated between Manila, the Pentagon and Leonardo before a contract is signed.
Approval for a new fleet of trainer helicopters comes just days after two Philippine navy officers were killed in the crash of a Robinson R22 trainer south of Manila on 11 April.
Manila says the cause of the crash was not immediately known, but a military representative confirms the two pilots had “executed emergency procedures” before the fatal impact occurred.
It is unlikely that the incident is connected to the FMS approval, which includes a lengthy review process initiated by a formal request from the purchasing government, likely submitted months ago. However, the timing highlights Manila’s dire need for new trainer capacity.
The Philippines has only a modest inventory of training helicopters, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The database lists the country’s navy as having only a single R22, now written off. The army operates two Robinson R44s and two MBB BO105s for rotary-wing pilot training.
While the Philippine air force has a sizeable inventory of combat rotorcraft from Bell, Sikorsky, MD Helicopters, Leonardo and Turkish Aerospace, none of these are listed as assigned to trainer duty.
