US Army buys 34 UH-72s from EADS
By: Zach Rosenberg Washington DC
The US Army has awarded European manufacturer EADS an almost $182 million contract for 34 additional UH-72A Lakotas, the military version of the Eurocopter EC145.
EADS has so far delivered 243 UH-72s to the army and National Guard units, which use the helicopters for peacetime transport missions in lieu of more expensive Sikorsky UH-60s and Bell OH-58s, which are in high demand for missions in Afghanistan.
The UH-72 is not approved for combat use, but replaces combat helicopters for missions in which their capabilities are unnecessary, including peacetime medical evacuation and light transport tasks.
is proposing a combat-qualified version of the UH-72 dubbed the AAS-72X+ for the army's prospective armed aerial scout programme, in competition with versions of the Bell 407 and Boeing AH-6. The winner of a potential contest would replace the army's aged OH-58s.
The civilian version has proved popular with US operators, particularly emergency medical evacuation providers.
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