Army's Newest Helicopter Will Be Used To Train Pilots For
Combat
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command paved the way for another
first when it facilitated the acquisition and receipt of five
UH-72A Lakota helicopters - the Army's newest aircraft. The
cutting-edge helicopters received at Ramstein Air Base, April 13,
are the first ones to reach the U.S. Army in Europe.
Lakota At Ramstein Air Base Germany
The light-utility helicopters were towed to and reassembled at
the Theater Aviation Sustainment Manager Europe's closed loop
facility on Ramstein. TASM-E, 405th Army Field Support Brigade,
which falls under the operational control of the 21st TSC, is
responsible for the maintenance of the light utility helicopters
under the Department of the Army Contract Logistics System.
"As the senior logistician for the USAREUR Theater, Major
General (Patricia) McQuistion, (the commanding general of the 21st
TSC) has a keen interest in all logistics support of this theater,
to include the contracts," said William Sanders, the chief of the
21st TSC's support operation's aviation logistics section.
However, until the Army officially took possession of the
aircraft, it was hands-off for them. While TASM-E provided the
space, equipment and tools and stood ready to assist when and
wherever possible, the Lakotas were being off-loaded and
re-assembled by representatives from the manufacturer and the light
utility helicopters product office at Redstone Arsenal, AL.
"They are so new, they still have that new helicopter smell,"
said Carl Marquez, an aircraft mechanic at the closed loop
facility.
"On the other hand, who could do it better, anyway? Everyone
here is working toward an easy and smooth transition," said Allen
Partain, a quality assurance representative with TASM-E.
Finally, when it was time for the ground run-ups of the first
three reassembled Lakotas April 19, the end owners had their turn.
Three instructor pilots from the Joint Multinational Readiness
Center and seven air crew familiarized themselves with the newest
additions to their training fleet.
Lakota Loaded In US For Transport
The aviation detachment known as Falcon Team provides the air
support training at JMRC in Hohenfels, Germany. The center is
slated to receive 10 UH-72As. Among its initial delivery is the
aircraft with tail number 72100, signifying the 100th Lakota
helicopter delivered to the Army.
The helicopters will be used to train pilots for combat
engagements. Additionally, they will carry observers to oversee war
game scenarios against opposing force aircraft, said Maj. Brian
Parsons, an aviation observer controller with the Falcon Team. In
addition to providing JMRC with the flexibility to train diverse
scenarios, the multi-role Lakotas will replace the aging UH-1
Iroquois aircraft at JRMC and will free up the UH-60 Black Hawk
helicopters for tactical missions and deployments.
That's another plus for the 21st TSC, which is responsible for
reporting the aircraft readiness of this theater to the Department
of the Army. The introduction of the Lakotas will boost readiness
rates as well as additional operational capability, Sanders
explained.
Simultaneously, being able to turn in the reliable but old Hueys
at JMRC will eliminate a maintenance nightmare. "Obtaining parts
for the UH-1 Hueys has been a significant challenge for a while,
because (the Army) cancelled all repair parts production lines for
this aircraft," Sanders said.
File Photo
The Lakota, an advanced rotary-wing aircraft, is produced by
American Eurocopter, a business unit of European Aeronautics
Defense and Space. "The Lakota is the military version of an
existing aircraft - the EC 145 Eurocopter - it was actually
designed in Donauwoerth, Germany, which makes it even better suited
for the training mission here," said Bill Bennett, a contract field
service representative with American Eurocopter.
Meeting the Army's commercial off-the-shelf acquisition strategy
for light utility helicopters also equates to time and money saved
for research and development as well as acquisition.