Program overview The UH-72A Lakota Specifications Video Milestones Walkaround

Program overview

EADS North America’s UH-72A Lakota is the U.S. Army’s multi-role Light Utility Helicopter.

This twin-engine aircraft serves as a key element in the military service’s modernization of its aviation assets – providing a highly capable helicopter for missions that include homeland security, drug interdiction, general support, logistics and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

Additionally, the UH-72A’s introduction with U.S. Army and National Guard units throughout the United States and overseas is freeing up other rotary-wing assets for deployment to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

EADS North America won the Light Utility Helicopter contract on June 30, 2006, and it officially delivered the U.S. Army’s first UH-72A on December 11 of the same year – three months ahead of schedule. The first operational U.S. Army unit was equipped within 11 months of the Lakota contract award, making this one of the most rapid introductions of a new aircraft in the service’s history.

The U.S. Army currently has 219 UH-72As on order, and expects to acquire a total of 345 Lakotas through 2015 – representing a potential life-cycle value of more than $2 billion. As of August 2011, EADS North America had surpassed the half-way point in deliveries for this planned 345-helicopter requirement, maintaining the Lakota’s position as one of the U.S. Army’s most successful acquisition programs – which is repeatedly noted by Defense Department officials for its on-time and on-budget deliveries. 

UH-72A Lakotas are operating from 31 basing locations in the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, Germany and the Pacific Ocean’s Kwajalein Atoll.  These helicopters are used in multiple configurations for medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions; search and rescue operations; border patrols along the U.S./Mexico border; VIP transport; general aviation support; and in combat flight training at the service’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and soon at the National Training Center, Ft. Irwin, California.

EADS North America and American Eurocopter engineers continue to integrate additional mission equipment packages (MEPs) on the UH-72A, achieving FAA certification for the Combat Training Center (CTC) mission equipment package in 2010. Efforts continue on additional MEP integration for a comprehensive package for the Army National Guard’s Security and Support (S&S) Battalion missions.

In addition to the Army Lakotas, the U.S. Navy has received five H-72A versions for training of test pilots from the U.S. military and allied countries.

EADS North America has in-sourced the UH-72A’s production to the United States, creating jobs and bringing high-value business activity to a new helicopter center of excellence at Columbus, Mississippi. Lakota production is handled by American Eurocopter, an EADS North America business unit, which is a leading supplier of helicopters in the U.S. market.

As part of EADS North America’s commitment to the U.S. Army, the American Eurocopter business unit created its dedicated assembly line for UH-72As at Columbus, and successfully completed the on-time in-sourcing of its full production activity from Germany in 2010 – with sustained output reaching 53 rotary-wing aircraft annually at this 220,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport.