Armed Aerial Scout Flight Demonstrations Taking Place In
Nashville, TN
EADS North America is conducting flight demonstrations of its
company-funded Armed Aerial Scout 72X (AAS-72X) helicopter at the
Nashville International Airport this week to coincide with a nearby
military aviation exposition.
The company, and its industry team of American Eurocopter and
Lockheed Martin, have made a significant investment in the
development of three AAS-72X Technical Demonstrator Aircraft (TDA),
which are being used to conduct parallel development and risk
reduction activities, and to demonstrate the aircraft’s
increasing level of capability and technical maturity. The AAS-72X
is based on the highly successful EC145 commercial helicopter
platform.
The AAS-72X demonstration aircraft is equipped with a Mission
Equipment Package (MEP) that includes a chin-mounted turret with
integrated targeting sensor, manned-unmanned teaming capability,
communications suite and weapons. "EADS North America and its Armed
Scout team has achieved every milestone we’ve set in
developing a highly capable helicopter that will meet the
Army’s armed aerial scout mission,” said EADS North
America CEO Sean O’Keefe. “Bringing one of our three
technical demonstrator aircraft to Nashville enables Army
leadership and aviators to see and experience these accomplishments
first-hand.”
The Technical Demonstrator Aircraft made its first flight in
December 2010, and is being used to validate the AAS-72X’s
ability to meet the U.S. Army’s current armed aerial scout
mission requirements. Prior to first flight of the TDA helicopter,
the company conducted high/hot hover-out-of-ground-effect,
endurance and payload testing in 2009 at Alamosa, CO, successfully
operating at 6,000 feet and 95-degree density altitude. The team
also conducted a key transportability test when five militarized
EC145 aircraft were successfully loaded in a C-17 transport
aircraft. Additionally, EADS North America and Lockheed Martin
established a System Integration Laboratory (SIL) and hangar in
April 2010 at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando, Fla. facility.
“Having a fully-capable laboratory enables high fidelity
integration and testing and results in the lowest-risk MEP solution
for the AAS-72X,” said Bob Gunning, vice president of Fire
Control at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We
have made significant investments to ensure our state-of-the-art
MEP provides a best value, superior solution to meet the
warfighters’ armed scout mission requirements.”
Production of the AAS-72X will take place at American
Eurocopter’s Columbus, MS, helicopter center of excellence
where the UH-72A Lakota is currently assembled for the U.S.
Army.