EADS-North America Unveils First Two Armed Aerial Scouts
The Alabama Army National
Guard’s ability to perform homeland security operations and
carry out support missions within the state will be
significantly enhanced with the introduction of four UH-72A Lakota
Light Utility Helicopters delivered by EADS North America.
These aircraft are being based at the Army Aviation Support
Facility #2 in Birmingham, where the initial two Lakotas were
formally unveiled during a ceremony today. The Alabama Army
National Guard’s Lakotas are assigned to Detachment 1,
Company C, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment. The unit’s
federal level missions include aerial command, control and
reconnaissance in homeland security operations; and it also is
tasked with state-level support for Alabama’s governor and
community-based organizations.
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“It is particularly appropriate that the Lakota has come
to Alabama, which has developed a very strong relationship with
EADS,” said David R. Oliver, Jr., EADS North America’s
chief operating officer. “Our company has an important
industrial presence in the state — with a growing engineering
center and a recently-expanded aircraft service center in Mobile."
The UH-72As are to replace Detachment 1’s aging OH-58 Kiowa
helicopters, and are the first new aircraft coming directly to the
Alabama National Guard in many years.
"We are extremely excited to be one of the states receiving the
UH-72 aircraft,” said Alabama National Guard State Army
Aviation Officer, Col. Charles A. Bonasera. “This aircraft
brings the Alabama National Guard a much greater capability than
its predecessor in the conduct of our homeland security/support
mission requirements. The aviators that now fly this aircraft are
also very excited and absolutely love what it does for their
mission."
EADS North America has delivered 93 Lakotas to the U.S. Army and
five to the U.S. Navy. The Army aircraft are based at active duty
Army and Army National Guard locations throughout the United
States, as well as in Puerto Rico. Future deployments of UH-72As
are anticipated in the Pacific, Europe and Japan. The UH-72A is a
key element in the U.S. Army’s rotary-wing fleet
modernization effort, and the program represents one of the most
rapid introductions of an aircraft in the service’s history.
The Light Utility Helicopter contract was awarded to EADS North
America in June 2006, followed by the company’s startup of
UH-72A deliveries in November of the same year. Operational service
began in early 2007. A total of 345 Lakotas are expected to be
acquired through 2015 for U.S. Army and National Guard operations
in missions that range from homeland security and drug interdiction
to general support, logistics and medical evacuation flights. The
aircraft enable aging National Guard OH-58 and UH-1 rotary-wing
aircraft to be retired, while UH-72A deliveries to the active
component of the U.S. Army free up UH-60 Black Hawks for assignment
to warfighting missions. EADS North America has delivered five
H-72A versions to the U.S. Navy for use in training test pilots
from the U.S. military and allied countries. In addition to the
current production of H-72As and UH-72As, EADS North America is
offering the Armed Scout 645 variant for the U.S. Army’s
armed aerial scout requirement.
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Production of the UH-72A helicopter
family is performed at a state-of-the-art facility in Columbus,
Miss., which has created new job opportunities in the southern
United States and throughout the country. The facility is operated
by the American Eurocopter business unit of EADS North America.