Introducing The Armed Scout 645 

A major topic of discussion at this year's 'Quad A' was the news that EADS North America will be partnering with Lockheed Martin and American Eurocopter to offer a new armed scout helicopter solution to the Army, called the Armed Scout 645.

The Army Aviation Association of America’s 2009 Annual Convention in Nashville, TN, served as an unveiling point for a display of the full-scale helicopter that is based on the Eurocopter EC145 commercial airframe that is the platform for the Army’s UH-72A Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The Armed Scout 645 will be produced at American Eurocopter’s Columbus, MS, facility where UH-72A Lakotas are currently manufactured.

“EADS North America is pleased to welcome Lockheed Martin to our industry team. Lockheed Martin is a leader in defense and brings extensive knowledge of rotary-wing system integration to the Armed Scout 645 industry team,” said EADS North America Chief Operating Officer David R. Oliver, Jr.

Lockheed Martin has a 25–year legacy in Army aviation mission equipment components and subsystems integration, as well as worldwide logistics support to the Armed Forces. This experience includes Army attack helicopter programs, including the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (Arrowhead) system, LONGBOW Fire Control Radar, Video from UAS for Interoperability Teaming – Level 2 (VUIT-2) and HELLFIRE missiles.

The Armed Scout 645 will provide twin-engine performance and survivability, particularly in the demanding high/hot operating environments called for by today’s Army requirements. “Today’s warfighters need the most capable aircraft that ensures success the first time, every time. EADS North America is committed to leading an industry team that will meet the armed scout mission requirements for our warfighters,” added Oliver.

The partnership claims that the Armed Scout 645’s modern design and modular weapons systems architecture ensures low lifecycle costs, maintainability and maximum operational reliability, resulting in high operational readiness rates to meet changing Army mission requirements over time. Its small footprint allows transportation by C-17 aircraft with minimum reconfiguration upon arrival in the operating area. The helicopter’s large, unobstructed main cabin is easily reconfigurable for maximum mission flexibility.

EADS North America has delivered 67 UH-72A Lakotas to the Army and Army National Guard since November 2006, with all aircraft reportedly supplied on or ahead of schedule and within budget. The UH-72A fleet in Army service has passed the 10,000 flight-hour milestone. To date, 128 Lakotas have been ordered by the Army, with plans to acquire a total of 345 UH-72As by 2016.

FMI: www.armedscout.com, www.UH-72A.com, www.eadsnorthamerica.com, www.eurocopterusa.com, www.lockheedmartin.com