Offers UH-145 for Army's Light Utility Helicopter Mission;
American Eurocopter to Partner on the LUH Team
EADS North America and
its American Eurocopter business unit tell ANN that they will offer
the UH-145 advanced rotary-wing aircraft for the U.S. Army's Light
Utility Helicopter (LUH) mission. EADS North America will lead the
capture effort and act as the prime contractor for the UH-145
team.
EADS-NA claims that the twin-engine UH-145 is a "best value"
solution for the Army, providing a U.S.-built helicopter that meets
or exceeds all speed, range, endurance and performance
requirements. The UH-145 is a version of the highly successful
EC145 helicopter, which has been in production since 2002 for law
enforcement, paramilitary and security agencies, emergency medical
service providers, offshore operators and corporations in America
and around the world.
"EADS North America is proud to offer the UH-145 to meet the
modernization needs of the US Army. Our UH-145 team combines the
No. 1 helicopter in its class, American Eurocopter's extensive
rotary-wing market experience and the resources of EADS North
America as prime contractor," said Ralph D. Crosby, Jr., the
Chairman and CEO of EADS North America. "We are uniquely positioned
to meet the operational and long term support requirements of this
key Army aviation program. The UH-145 will offer the Army a modern
platform that combines advanced rotary-wing technology and proven
commercial capability, and which outperforms other existing or
remanufactured solutions."
Production of the
UH-145 will be performed in the U.S. by American Eurocopter, which
has been building and supporting helicopters in the US for more
than 30 years. The company has production and assembly sites in
Columbus, Mississippi and Grand Prairie, Texas.
American Eurocopter is a U.S. helicopter market leader, with a
large customer base in the Homeland Security, para-public and law
enforcement sectors. Its helicopters are operated by the U.S. Coast
Guard and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency in the
Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and police departments,
sheriff's offices and other security agencies from
coast-to-coast.
The U.S. Army is planning to acquire over 300 LUH platforms to
replace aging UH-1 and OH-58 aircraft. The LUH will perform a wide
range of light utility missions in the United States, including
medical evacuation, passenger and logistics transportation, as well
as Homeland Security operations. The Army National Guard is
expected to receive the majority of these replacement aircraft.
The UH-145 provides an optimized mix of new and proven
technologies for sustained superior mission performance, excellent
operational availability and low operating costs. Safety features
include its twin-engine design, redundant hydraulic and electrical
systems, and high-set main and tail rotors that allow
loading/unloading through the main doors and rear-fuselage
clamshell doors even while the rotors are turning.
The helicopter is outfitted with an advanced avionics suite that
includes a glass cockpit for flight and navigation instrument
display. It already is FAA Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certified
- a requirement in the Army's commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
acquisition strategy for LUH. The UH-145's large open cabin
provides maximum flexibility with seating configurations for up to
nine passengers, or two stretchers for MEDEVAC missions.
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