Leonardo celebrated the official grand opening of its new FloridaSupport Center on September 18 at Whiting Aviation Park in Santa Rosa County. The ceremony marked asignificant milestone in the company’s continued investment—now totalling $65 million—in U.S. militaryaviation support, civil helicopter services, and regional aerospace growth.
Photos: Leonardo
Located adjacent to Naval Air Station Whiting Field (NASWF), the new facility is purpose-built to delivermaintenance, logistics, and sustainment support for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of TH-73A training helicopters,while also expanding Leonardo’s award-winning customer support services to its civil operators baseacross the southeastern United States. The Florida Support Center will operate as a strategic hub toenhance aircraft availability and readiness across military and civil missions.
Now fully operational under a FAA Part 145 certificate, the Florida Support Center is open for business—ready to serve both operators and suppliers with responsive, U.S.-based support. The event was attended by a distinguished group of guests, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, SpaceFlorida CEO Robert Long, military leaders, and elected officials from local, state, and federal government.Clyde Woltman, the CEO of Leonardo Helicopters U.S., presided over the ceremony and gave remarks.
This facility reflects the power of partnership, said Clyde Woltman, CEO of Leonardo Helicopters U.S. With its proximity to NAS Whiting Field, we’re proud to offer world-class sustainment for the TH-73Aprogram while expanding support for civil operators in the region. None of this would be possible withoutthe shared vision of Santa Rosa County, Space Florida, Triumph Gulf Coast, the U.S. Navy, and our manycommunity partners. Together, we’ve built more than a facility—we’ve built a foundation for missionsuccess.
The Florida Support Center builds on Leonardo’s longstanding U.S. presence, further enhancing localaccess to the company’s proven support and sustainment capabilities. The award of the TH-73A contractadded to that momentum, reinforcing Leonardo’s commitment to delivering mission support, training, andlogistics where U.S. operators need them most.
This investment is expected to create skilled jobs, bolster the regional aerospace supply chain, and enhancevertical lift readiness for years to come. Already, the Florida Support Center has created 36 jobs, withcontinued growth expected as demand for sustainment and training services expands. It also cementsWhiting Aviation Park’s role as a vital hub for aviation excellence and innovation in Northwest Florida.
Spanning 73,000 square feet, the facility is equipped to support both military and civil rotorcraftoperations. It will provide Leonardo’s industry-leading customer support and maintenance, repair, andoverhaul (MRO) services. The facility includes a full-sized paint booth, a dynamic test bench fortransmission repair, a warehouse for spare parts, and all associated tooling and fixtures. These capabilitiesallow Leonardo to deliver high-quality, localized maintenance and support—helping operators reducedowntime, extend aircraft life, and maintain peak mission readiness.
Florida continues to lead in aerospace and defense innovation, said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Leonardo’s Support Center is not only a win for our state’s economy — it’s a commitment to future militaryreadiness and workforce development. We welcome this partnership in the Sunshine State.
In addition to supporting the Navy’s TH-73A fleet, the facility expands sustainment access for Leonardo’scivil customers operating in law enforcement, EMS, utility, and VIP/corporate transport roles. Keycustomers in Florida include Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Monroe County Fire Rescue & Sheriff’sDepartment, the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and theFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, through its Florida Forest Service. Its dualuse design reflects Leonardo’s global-to-local strategy, combining world-class expertise with responsive,U.S.-based solutions.
This latest move further strengthens Leonardo’s ability to deliver comprehensive critical support solutions,adding to a global network of more than 100 helicopter support centers, and is in line with Leonardo’ssupport strategy based on advanced capabilities and proximity to deliver the level of responsiveness,effectiveness, and safety its operators base requires and deserves.
📢 Today’s the day! We are officially opening the #LeonardoHelicopters Florida Support Center in Milton, FL—expanding U.S. support for military and commercial rotorcraft. #LeonardoInTheUS #FloridaSupportCenter #GrandOpening #MRO #Navy #Civil #MiltonFL pic.twitter.com/G33PnS56eB
— Leonardo Helicopters (@LDO_Helicopters) September 18, 2025
📅 One week away! We are opening our 73,000-sq-ft #FloridaSupportCenter in Milton, FL —designed for advanced #MRO, localized support and U.S. mission success.#LeonardoInTheUS #Rotorcraft #Helicopters #MadeInTheUSA pic.twitter.com/FdRT08KbVM
— Leonardo Helicopters (@LDO_Helicopters) September 11, 2025
Press release