The US Army has awarded Airbus Helicopters a $115.4 million contract covering the procurement of up to 12 UH-72B Lakota light utility helicopters.The award also includes equipment and services such as jettisonable cockpit doors, air-conditioning installation, engine inlet barrier filters, and program-management support. The latest contract increases the cumulative value of the award to approximately $140.71 million.Work is scheduled to take place at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with completion expected by December 31, 2030.The UH-72 Lakota is a twin-engine light utility helicopter based on the Eurocopter EC145. It was selected in 2006 under the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter programme and has been used extensively by the Army National Guard for domestic and support missions.Airbus has previously delivered hundreds of UH-72A aircraft to the US Army, Army National Guard, and US Navy.The upgraded UH-72B, introduced in 2020, incorporates a five-blade main rotor, Fenestron tail rotor, more powerful Safran Arriel 2E engines, and Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite. Each engine produces approximately 738 horsepower.The helicopter can reach around 145 knots, has a range of approximately 370 nautical miles, and can carry up to nine personnel or about 3,953 pounds of payload. Its operating ceiling is approximately 18,000 feet.Airbus is also developing an unmanned Lakota variant for the US Marine Corps under the Aerial Logistics Connector Rapid Prototyping Program, with an initial flight test conducted in October 2024.
