U.S. aerospace giant Boeing and Italian firm Leonardo have announced their collaboration to provide a contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) solution for the U.S. Army. This announcement was made on a Monday during the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. The collaboration aims to enhance the Army’s Flight School Next program, with a focus on creating a more flexible and scalable approach to rotary-wing training, specifically emphasizing single-engine helicopters.
The U.S. Army is currently facing a significant challenge with a series of catastrophic aviation accidents, prompting a comprehensive reassessment of its pilot training processes. This overhaul includes considering new aircraft types for training and the potential transition to a COCO schoolhouse model. A 2020 study commissioned by the Army through the Boston Consulting Group indicated that shifting to a single-engine trainer could save the service “hundreds of millions of dollars.” Furthermore, an additional study conducted through a College of William & Mary MBA fellowship suggested that a COCO model would be more beneficial than the existing government-owned, government-operated system.
The Army has issued a draft request for proposals as part of its urgency to implement these changes, with plans to issue a final request soon. Proposals are expected to be evaluated in 2026, according to Major General Clair Gill, commander of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence Command at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The Army aims to move forward with a solution in early fiscal year 2027.
Boeing has a long-standing history with the Army, supplying critical aircraft such as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter. The partnership between Boeing and Leonardo aims to combine Boeing’s extensive experience with the AW119T training helicopter provided by Leonardo for a comprehensive training package. John Chicoli, senior director for U.S. Army, Marines & Special Operations/Missions at Boeing Global Services, emphasized the goal of delivering a turnkey, innovative approach to rotary-wing training that boosts aviator proficiency and operational efficiencies.
Boeing’s expertise in managing aircraft training programs, including its current global training for the AH-64 Apache fleet, further supports its leadership in complex, long-term training initiatives such as Flight School Next. Leonardo’s AW119T trainer has a proven track record, having logged over 100,000 flight hours, including 16,000 hours under instrument flight rules and 40,000 touchdown autorotations. The company also supports 130 AW119Ts used by the U.S. Navy near Fort Rucker.
The collaborative proposal from Boeing and Leonardo transcends aircraft delivery. Their plan includes offering a range of services designed to enhance flight training hours, skill proficiency, and to provide a flexible and scalable training model throughout the duration of the contract.
