Production team
The UH-72A Team
The UH-72A team brings together the leaders in commercial and military rotorcraft technology, manufacturing, production and support, with exceptional program management and proven expertise in systems integration.
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Management profile
John Burke
EADS North America Vice President – Light Utility Helicopter program
John Burke compares the U.S. Army’s operation to a 40-piece orchestra – every instrument has to be on measure or the whole tempo is compromised.
EADS North America’s contribution to keeping the Army on pace is a point of pride that Burke cites by providing the new UH-72A Lakota on time and budget, as well as supporting the growing number of aircraft in service across the United States.
“EADS North America’s top priorities are the same as our Army customer: stay on schedule and cost with the Lakota’s production, train the operators and maintainers to use the aircraft to its full capabilities, field the UH-72A on the Army’s schedule, and sustain the fleet above the Army’s expectations,” Burke explains. “All of these priorities have been met from the start, and we continue each day to keep the program on track.”
Burke, who is located in EADS North America’s Huntsville, Alabama office, brings extensive management experience to the Light Utility Helicopter program, having joined EADS North America after a career with the Army – from which he retired with the rank of Colonel. His Army responsibilities included Deputy Director of Army Aviation, Director of Army Unmanned Systems, the Army’s Project Manager for unmanned aerial vehicle systems, as well as key leadership positions in the Army Acquisition Executive Office, Program Executive Office – Aviation, and the Army Corporate Information Officer/G6 Office in the Pentagon.
He noted that EADS North America and the Army have an “exceptional relationship” on the UH-72A program, with coordination handled through five standing integrated process teams that meet weekly to cover all aspects of the program.
Burke said a key EADS North America program commitment was duplicating the successful EC-145 (Army LUH) production capability to the United States from Germany, the original manufacturer of the aircraft, to the American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, MS. EADS-NA and American Eurocopter met this challenge by creating a 220,000-sq. ft. production facility in 2007 creating a rotary-wing center of excellence adjacent to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
“The Army put its confidence in EADS North America with the competitive award of the LUH contract and we’ve been up to the challenge – building the Lakota production facility literally from the ground up, and transitioning production to Columbus right on schedule,” he added.