Airbus Helicopters has delivered the 200th UH-72A Lakota for training operations with the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence in Fort Rucker, Alabama. The helicopter is the company’s 440th Lakota delivery to the Army since the program began in 2006. Nearly 1,500 U.S. military student pilots have trained on the UH-72A. The aircraft is also utilized by the U.S. National Guard for counter-narcotic, border security, and disaster-response missions.
The UH-72A is a derivative of the twin-engine EC145 and is operated by U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and other military units worldwide. To date, the Lakota fleet has amassed more than 600,000 flight hours. The UH-72A is built in Columbus, Mississippi, where Airbus has manufactured nearly 550 helicopters for the U.S. government. The facility also builds the H125 for the North American market.
“The Lakota continues to be a great asset as the initial rotary-wing trainer for the Army and all of our domestic customers,” said Airbus Helicopters v-p of military programs Scott Tumpak. Airbus Helicopters has more than 675 aircraft in operation for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security. The company is also proposing its light twin H135 for the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System.