The US Army has awarded a $115.4-million contract to Airbus Helicopters for the procurement of up to 12 Lakota UH-72B helicopters.
The US Army has awarded a $115.4-million contract to Airbus Helicopters for the procurement of up to 12 Lakota UH-72B light utility helicopters.
In addition to the aircraft, the contract covers jettisonable cockpit doors, air-conditioning system installation, engine inlet barrier filters, and program management. The latest award brings the contract’s total cumulative value to $140.71 million.
Work will be performed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2030.
UH-72
The Airbus UH-72 Lakota is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed to replace the UH-1H Iroquois and OH-58A/C Kiowa in domestic operations.
Based on the Eurocopter EC145, it was selected for the US Army’s Light Utility Helicopter program in June 2006 and is operated mainly by the Army National Guard.
Airbus has delivered 463 UH-72A helicopters to the US Army, US Army National Guard and, for a period, the US Navy.
Latest Variant
The US Army unveiled the upgraded UH-72B in August 2020 and received its first aircraft in September 2021 as part of an 18-aircraft order for the US Army National Guard.
The UH-72B features a five-blade main rotor, Fenestron-shrouded tail rotor, more powerful Safran Arriel 2E engines, and Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite.
Its twin engines produce 738 horsepower each, giving it a maximum speed of 145 knots (167 miles/269 kilometers per hour) and a range of 370 nautical miles (426 miles/685 kilometers).
The Lakota can carry up to nine personnel or 3,953 pounds (1,793 kilograms) of payload and operate at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet (5,486 meters).
Airbus is also developing an unmanned UH-72 Lakota prototype for the US Marine Corps under the Aerial Logistics Connector Rapid Prototyping Program. The company conducted the first flight test in October 2024.
