US Army begins process to buy 35 more UH-72s

The US Army on 4 January took the first step in the process to award a contract to Airbus for up to 35 more UH-72 Lakota helicopters.
The notice notes that only Airbus owns the technical data on the UH-72, which means any potential competitor would have to acquire the data from the OEM to build the twin-engined aircraft.
Airbus has delivered more than 400 UH-72s to the army since 2006. The re-designated H145 aircraft lack a military airworthiness certificate by design, rendering the fleet limited to peacetime support roles. In 2014, the army also selected the UH-72A to replace the Bell Helicopter TH-67 as a primary trainer.
The army’s approved budget in Fiscal 2017 contains funds to buy 23 UH-72As, so up to another 12 could be purchased later.
Airbus assembles the UH-72 from a factory in Columbus, Mississippi, although major components are built in Europe.
The new order from the army is necessary to keep the facility open.
flightglobal

US Army Orders 41 UH-72 Lakota Helicopters

Airbus has been awarded a contract modification to build 41 more UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopters for the US Army, planned as flight trainers.
The contract brings the total number of Lakota helicopters ordered to 411 — 400 for the Army or National Guard, five for the US Naval Test Pilot School and six that will go to Thailand through the foreign military sales program. Airbus has delivered 331 of the aircraft.
The 41 aircraft are all to be built at the Airbus facility in Columbus, Mississippi. The Army had used the Lakota, a militarized version of the commercial EC145, for non-combat purposes: homeland security, drug interdiction, general support, logistics and medical evacuation.
defensenews

US Approves Sale of Nine UH-72 Lakota for Thailand

The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Thailand for 9 UH-72A Lakota Helicopters, associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $89 million.
defense-studies

Thailand to Receive First UH-72A in April 2015

Airbus has produced the first of six UH-72A for the Royal Thai Army. The aircraft will be delivered in December to the US Army, which will transfer it to Thai Army. The remaining five aircraft will be built in 2015.
Thailand requested six UH-72As through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process in 2013. The contract would be the first international sale of the aircraft, a variant of the EC145 civil helicopter.
Thailand is recapitalising its rotary wing fleet. In February 2011 it acquired three Mil Mi-17V-5, with three further helicopters ordered. In October 2012 the Thai Army signed a contract for two AgustaWestland AW139s for transport and utility missions with delivery set for this year.
In August 2009 the U.S. Defense Security Co-operation Agency announced an FMS of three UH-60L aircraft, while in March 2010 the Thai government approved a proposal to purchase three UH-60Ms. In October 2011, the Thai Cabinet approved a plan to procure two further Black Hawks.
defense-studies

US Approves FMS of Six UH-72 Lakota for Royal Thai Army

EADS North America, has been awarded a contract for six Lakota helicopters with the environmental control unit, mission equipment package and airborne radio communication for the Royal Thai Army.
defense-studies

US Army Seeks To Purchase 100 Lakota Helicopters

The US Army will request money to buy 100 new UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters. The helicopters will eventually replace training aircraft,as part of a larger restructuring of its rotary aviation fleet.
The proposed new helicopters are part of a controversial plan that came to light in December. The proposal calls for the Army National Guard to hand its fleet of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters over to the active-duty Army while receiving Black Hawk helicopters in return. The Army also wants to divest its entire fleet of OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters, using the Guard Apaches to fulfill that mission.
The new Lakotas would replace the TH-67 training helicopters that the service will also do away with.
defensenews

US Army to acquire 20 more Lakotas

A US spending bill will provide the US Army with funds to acquire 20 Airbus Helicopters UH-72A Lakotas.
The aircraft will be used by both the US Army and the Army National Guard, and will be delivered between September 2014 and July 2015.
UH-72As are made at a factory in Columbus, Mississippi. The security and support battalion version of the UH-72A can have an electro-optical/infrared sensor, secure data channel for live video downloading, a hoist and a crew information station. The National Guard uses aircraft with those systems to conduct security and support along the US-Mexico border.
Airbus also expects to deliver six UH-72As in 2014 that were ordered by Thailand.
flightglobal

US Army Plans To Scrap Kiowa Helo Fleet

US Army leaders are considering scrapping its entire fleet of Bell Helicopter OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, while pulling the National Guard’s Boeing AH-64 Apaches into the active-duty force to fill the scout helicopter role as the Army seeks to fulfill its longer-term requirement of a newly developed armed aerial scout.
The plan also calls for giving active Black Hawk helicopters to the Guard, while taking half of the Guard’s Lakota fleet, using them as active-duty trainers and scrapping its Jet Rangers.
While a final decision has yet to be made, the industry sources had the impression that the deal was all but done.
The deal would be done in the interest of cutting costs and reducing the number of different helicopter types in the Army, but questions remain about the affordability of using the Apache to fill the scout role.
Once the Army divests itself of its 338 active-duty and 30 National Guard Kiowas and pulls Apaches from the National Guard, the service will then provide the Guard with Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in order to give the Guard more capability as it conducts its homeland defense and disaster response missions.
The Army has 570 Apaches, while the Guard has 192 and the Army Reserve has 48.
The goal is to have a total of 690 AH-64E Apaches in the Army.
The Guard is also expected to gain 111 Black Hawks from the active duty, while the reserve will receive 48, and the end-state calls for 1,033 Black Hawk helicopters in the active Army, 960 in the Guard and 142 in the reserve.
Part of the plan also entails retiring the active-duty Bell TH-67 Jet Ranger training helicopters, and moving about 100 EADS UH-72 Lakotas from the active Army and 104 of the Guard’s 212 Lakotas for this purpose.
Although the Kiowa program kicked off in 1969, the Kiowa Warriors being used today were built from 1985 onward. The entire fleet has been completely reset and remachined over the past decade, with the upgrade program ending in 2011.
defensenews

Chilean Army looking to add attack helicopters

On the final day of the annual U.S. and Chilean army staff talks, Chilean Officers met with leaders of the Texas Military Forces,.
The strategic planning conference was hosted by the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade and provided Chilean leadership the opportunity to evaluate current Army aviation helicopters as well as get an inside perspective on various counter drug operations, to include the southwest border mission.
Lt. Col. Chilean army operations officer, has worked with the Texas Military Forces on multiple occasions and believes the domestic aviation operations of the Chilean army and Texas National Guard is similar. On this trip, he hopes to learn more than just new tactics, techniques and procedures.
One of the chilean goals is to find the Chilean army some new helicopters. Chilean Army hasmany transport helicopters, but are looking to add attack helicopters.
Among the equipment on display was the UH-72 Lakota, which provides an aerial platform equipped with visual and infrared cameras and high-powered searchlights capable of providing an eye in the sky.
dvidshub

DSCA notifies US Congress of potential Thai Lakota sale

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the US Congress of a possible sale of six EADS North America UH-72A Lakota helicopters via the Pentagon's Foreign Military Sales mechanism.
flightglobal

EADS aborts on bid to develop speedy rotorcraft for US Army

EADS North America is withdrawing from the US Army's Joint Multi-Role/Future Vertical Lift (JMR/FVL) programme.
"We will withdraw from further consideration for the JMR/FVL concept development effort," writes chief executive officer of EADS North America in a letter addressed to assistant secretary of the army for procurement.
EADS faces financial constraints in light of the Congressional sequestration law that automatically cuts projected US defence outlays by 10% every year for 10 years and the implementation thereof.
Sequestration forced the army to reduce funding for the EADS UH-72A Lakota. The army had planned to buy 31 UH-72As in Fiscal 2014 and 10 the following year, but instead now plans to buy only 10 during the next fiscal year that begins on 1 October.

EADS says Pentagon ending buying Lakota helicopters

The US Defense Department has decided to stop buying EADS Lakota helicopters for the Army next year, according to the head of the European aerospace's US-based unit.
google.com

US Army considers B-model upgrade for UH-72A Lakota fleet

The US Army has opened discussions with American Eurocopter to introduce a B-model of the UH-72A Lakota in 2017, company officials say.

"The army every 10 years looks at how to improve and enhance and modernise its aircraft," says Marc Paganini,

American Eurocopter chief executive.
Details of the potential upgrade are unclear, but Eurocopter has introduced the T2 model of the EC145 since the UH-72A was introduced into service in 2007. The T2 model replaces the tail rotor with a finestron, among other improvements.
flightglobal

U.S. Army orders 34 additional UH-72As

The U.S. Army has awarded EADS North America a $181.8 million contract option to deliver 34 additional UH-72A Lakota helicopters, bringing the total aircraft ordered to date to 312.

alert5

eads

EADS urges US Army to buy new scout helicopter

EADS North America is urging the US Army to buy a new armed reconnaissance helicopter to replace its aging fleet of Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warriors. The service is expected to make a decision by year end as to whether it will buy a new helicopter or soldier on with what it has.

flightglobal

EL US Army modernizará sus helicópteros Lakota/ US Army Lakotas to be upgraded

El US Army va a modernizar algunas unidades de su flota de Eurocopter UH-72A Lakota, que prestan servicio en el territorio nacional de Estados Unidos, con nuevos equipos (Mission Equipment Packages-MEP).
EADS North America ha obtenido un contrato inicial, por valor de 67 millones de dólares en su primera fase, con un valor total estimado de unos 152 millones, para adaptar 99 unidades con el equipamiento MEP. Las primeras entregas se producirán en 2011.
La modernización incluye camara electro óptica con infrarrojos y laser, nuevo foco de búsqueda, pantallas táctiles, que incluyen mapas en movimiento, y mejoras en aviónica y comunicaciones. Con el UH-72A la Guardia Nacional prevee retirar a los OH-58 y UH-1.
key.Aero
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The US Army is to upgrade some of its fleet of Eurocopter UH-72A Lakota helicopters with Mission Equipment Packages (MEP) for those to be operated by Army National Guard Security and Support Battalions (S&S Battalions) supporting civil authorities across the USA.
EADS North America has been awarded a $67 million contract, the first phase of a total contract value estimated to be approximately $152 million for 99 MEP systems. Deliveries of UH-72As with the S&S Battalion MEP are scheduled to begin in 2011 with the initial contract covering 36 aircraft.
The UH-72A S&S Battalion configuration includes a forward centreline-mounted camera system with electro-optical and infrared sensors and laser pointer, a 30 million candlepower searchlight, operator console, cockpit and cabin touch-screen displays with moving map, a video management system, a digital video recorder and data downlink system, plus an external hoist and additional avionics and communications equipment.
Deliveries of the UH-72A to National Guard units will allow aging OH-58 and UH-1 helicopters to be retired.
key.Aero

MAS LAKOTAS PARA EL US ARMY/MORE LAKOTAS FOR US ARMY

Four UH-72A Lakota LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) have been delivered to the Alabama Army National Guard’s Army by EADS North America.. Pertenecen al 1 Det, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment. Será utilizado para control aéreo y reconocimiento del territorio nacional. Han sustituido al OH-58 Kiowa en la unidad. Hasta la fecha han sido entregados 93 Lakota al US Army y 5 a la US Navy, de un total de 345 hasta 2015.
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Four UH-72A Lakota LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) have been delivered to the Alabama Army National Guard’s Army by EADS North America.. They belong to Detachment 1, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment. UH-72As will be used for aerial command, control and reconnaissance in homeland security operations and have replaced the unit’s OH-58 Kiowas.
To date, EADS North America has delivered 93 Lakotas to the US Army and five to the US Navy. A total of 345 Lakotas is expected to be acquired through to 2015.