Airbus Helicopters’ UH-72 Lakota fleet has exceeded one million flight-hours 15 years after the light twin first entered service for the U.S. Army. Airbus subsequently delivered 463 of the UH-72A model, which is now used as the Army’s primary training helicopter and for other missions including general utility, search and rescue, disaster response, homeland security, drug interdiction, command and control, and VIP transport.
By the end of October 2021, the Lakota will be operational for Army and National Guard units in 45 states and territories. It is also flown by the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and the Royal Thai Army, and is a key enabler of U.S. Army combat training in Ft. Irwin, CA, Ft. Polk, LA and Hohenfels, Germany, and as well as the test range mission at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
Earlier this year, the Army introduced the first UH-72B Lakota to its National Guard fleet, with an initial order for 18 of the latest variant that includes a Fenestron tail rotor, more powerful engines, enhanced controls, and the Airbus Helionix avionics suite. Airbus Helicopters, Inc. builds the Lakota at its production facility in Columbus, Mississippi.