Airbus Secures $115M US Army Lakota Helicopter DealThe US Army has placed a $115.4 million order with Airbus Helicopters for as many as 12 UH-72B Lakota light utility helicopters. The contract includes additional equipment and support, covering jettisonable cockpit doors, air-conditioning installation, engine inlet barrier filters and program management. The award increases the total cumulative value of the contract to $140.71 million.Production and related work will be conducted at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with the program expected to continue through December 2030. The Lakota serves as a light utility platform for missions including training and domestic military operations and has become an important aircraft within the US Army National Guard.The UH-72 was selected in 2006 under the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter initiative. Developed from the Eurocopter EC145, the platform was intended to replace older helicopters such as the UH-1H Iroquois and OH-58A/C Kiowa in several support roles. Airbus has delivered hundreds of UH-72A aircraft to the Army, National Guard and, previously, the US Navy.The UH-72B represents an upgraded version of the Lakota. Introduced in 2020, it features a five-blade main rotor, Fenestron tail rotor, Safran Arriel 2E engines and Airbus Helionix avionics. The helicopter can reach about 145 knots and travel roughly 370 nautical miles.Its cabin can accommodate up to nine personnel, while its payload capacity reaches nearly 3,953 pounds. The aircraft can also operate at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet.Beyond its crewed configuration, Airbus is developing an unmanned Lakota variant for Marine Corps logistics missions. The prototype completed its first flight test in October 2024, highlighting the platform’s potential for future autonomous resupply operations.
