Century Lakota To Be Deployed To Germany With The JMRC
EADS North America delivered its
100th UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter to the U.S. Army
Thursday. Delivery of the 100th Lakota occurred at American
Eurocopter's production facility in Columbus, MS, where the
twin-engine helicopter is produced. The American Eurocopter
facility was significantly expanded to accommodate production of
the Lakota, which created and supports hundreds of high-value
aerospace jobs throughout the United States.
"The UH-72A Lakota program has progressed on schedule and within
budget constraints," said Col. L. Neil Thurgood, the U.S. Army's
Project Manager of the Utility Helicopter office. "The aircraft has
been well received by Army aircrews and we have maintained a
remarkably high operational availability rate combined with an
admirable safety record. We especially look forward to fielding
even more of these capable aircraft to Army National Guard units
throughout the United States," he added.
"Delivering on our commitments to the U.S. Army has been the
industry team's number one priority since being selected for the
Lakota program in June 2006," said Sean O'Keefe, EADS North
America's CEO. "Our performance of 100 percent on-time deliveries
reflects an unwavering commitment to fully support our customers'
current and future needs."
The 100th Lakota aircraft will be deployed to Germany with the
U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) - becoming
part of this unit's Combat Training Center and further expanding
the Lakota's mission applications.
"When EADS North America and American Eurocopter decided to
invest in Mississippi several years ago - Mississippians made a
commitment to help these companies succeed. When the Army chose
EADS North America to supply the UH-72A Lakota, EADS made a
commitment to help the warfighter succeed. Today the 100th Lakota
helicopter is evidence of that commitment," said Mississippi
Governor Haley Barbour. "I'm extremely proud of the work they do to
support America's men and women in uniform."
The U.S. Army plans to acquire 345 Lakotas through 2016, and the
service has ordered 182 of the helicopters so far, along with five
H-72A versions for the U.S. Navy. Aircraft already delivered to the
Army are used in missions that include medical evacuation
(MEDEVAC), search and rescue, drug interdiction, VIP transport and
support - with the in-service UH-72A fleet logging more than 25,000
flight hours to date at an operational readiness rate of more than
90 percent. The Navy's five H-72A versions are utilized by the U.S.
Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD,
for the training of test pilots from the U.S. military and allied
countries.
"The UH-72A Lakota program is crucial to modernizing the U.S.
Army's aviation assets, and the delivery of the 100th Lakota
helicopter to the Army is a significant accomplishment for the
Mississippians who build these capable aircraft in the Golden
Triangle," commented Sen. Thad Cochran, the ranking member of the
Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "This achievement
proves that off-the-shelf commercial air frames can be successfully
adapted for military applications at a lower cost to the taxpayer.
It also reflects well on our state's industrial capabilities and
our ability to support the Armed Forces."
The Lakotas' current basing across the continental United States
and in Puerto Rico will be expanded during the coming months -
along with the missions they perform - as Lakotas are deployed to
Germany and the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
"It's a privilege to represent the workforce that has
successfully built and delivered 100 Lakota helicopters to the U.S.
Army on schedule and on budget," said Mississippi Congressman
Travis Childers(D-MS). "This program represents the hard work and
dedication of hundreds of Mississippians, and I commend EADS for
its commitment to our national security."
For their service in Germany at the Joint Multinational Training
Command, the helicopters will be used to train pilots in combat
engagements, and are to carry equipment that includes a Multiple
Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES), a SMart On-Board Data
Interface Module (SMODIM), and an electronic data
manager.
When deployed to the Pacific Ocean's Kwajalein Atoll, the
UH-72As will perform transport and support duties. They are to be
painted in a high-visibility orange color scheme and outfitted with
skid-mounted floats, a life raft and jettisonable cockpit doors for
rapid egress.
Production of the UH-72A averages three to four helicopters per
month at the Columbus, MS production site.