200th UH-72A delivered to US Army
EADS North America has announced that the 200th UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) has been delivered to the US Army during a ceremony at the company’s American Eurocopter production facility in Columbus, Miss.
The company also announced that the Lakota programme remains 100 percent on schedule and budget for the Department of Defence (DOD).
The 200th Lakota helicopter is the first production aircraft to be delivered with the new Security and Support (S&S) Battalion Mission Equipment Package (MEP). Lakotas are produced at the company’s American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss., which is the same facility where the initial S&S Battalion Lakotas were retrofitted.
The Lakotas equipped with the S&S Battalion MEP will be operated by Army National Guard units across the country. The enhanced capability provided by the MEP enables these units to seamlessly support state and local law enforcement and federal homeland security agencies in responding to natural disasters, law enforcement and border security operations.
Currently 52 Lakota helicopters will be produced in the Army’s S&S Battalion configuration, in addition to 16 Lakota helicopters being retrofitted to this configuration. The total anticipated number of S&S Battalion Lakotas will grow to 99 aircraft. EADS North America has now delivered 200 UH-72A Lakotas to the US Army, on time and within budget, along with five H-72A versions to the US Navy for test pilot training.
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