UH-72 Lakota

Infobox Aircraft
name= UH-72A Lakota


caption= The Army's new UH-72A Lakota will primarily be used by the National Guard to perform homeland security missions.
type= Light utility helicopter
manufacturer= Eurocopter American Eurocopter (assembly)
designer=
first flight=
introduced= 2007
retired=
status= Currently in production
primary user= United States Army
more users=
produced=
number built=
unit cost=
developed from = Eurocopter EC 145
variants with their own articles=

The UH-72A Lakota is a United States Army light utility helicopter that entered service in 2006, built by the American Eurocopter division of EADS North America.

The Lakota is a militarized version of the Eurocopter EC145 modified to the "Light Utility Helicopter" (LUH) requirements. In June 2006, the US Army selected it as the winner of its LUH program with a 345+ aircraft fleet planned.

Development

Background

The US Army's LHX program began in the early 1980s, proposing two airframes with a high percentage of commonality of dynamic components. One was a light utility airframe ('LHX-U') for assault and tactical movement of troops and supplies, the other was a light scout/attack airframe ('LHX-SCAT') to complement the growing development of the AH-64 Apache. As the program was developed, the light utility airframe concept was dropped and focus was placed on the light attack reconnaissance airframe which eventually became the RAH-66 Comanche.

In 2004, the Department of Defense and the US Army made the decision to terminate the RAH-66 program. As part of the termination, the Army was allowed to keep the future years' funding programmed for the Comanche. To replace the capability that the Comanche was supposed to offer, the Army planned several programs, including three new aircraft. The Army Staff decided that these three aircraft, the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), and the Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA) (which was later renamed Joint Cargo Aircraft, or JCA), were to be existing, in-production commercial aircraft modified for Army service.

LUH Program and "UH-145"

The LUH program was initiated in early 2004, with an initial stated requirement for 322 helicopters to conduct Homeland Security, administrative, logistic, Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) and support of the Army Test and Training Centers missions. The LUH contract was released in late July 2005. At least five proposals were received. The competitors included the Bell 210 and Bell 412, MD Explorer and AW139. EADS North America (EADS NA) marketed the UH-145 variant of the EC145 for the program. [ [http://www.uh-72a.com/news/news_archive_2005_8_24.htm "EADS North America to Offer the UH-145 for the U.S. Army's light utility helicopter (LUH) mission"] , EADS North America, August 24, 2005.]

On 30 June 2006, the Army announced that the EADS NA entry had won the competition for the LUH contract, the value for which was estimated as being worth over $3 billion. In August, the UH-145 airframe was officially designated the UH-72A by the Department of Defense. The UH-145 award was confirmed in October 2006 following protests from losing bidders.

Despite the impact of the four-month delay associated with the protests, EADS NA was still able to deliver the first UH-72 on time during a ceremony in December, at which time the name Lakota was also formally announced for the type, in line with the Army's long-standing tradition of giving its helicopters Indian names. The LUH marked EADS NA's largest DoD contract to date, and added to existing programs including the U.S. Coast Guard's HH-65 Dolphin and HC-144A and various other defense and security systems contracts.

The Lakota received full rate production (FRP) approval on August 23, 2007. This will allow the Army to buy the full quantity of aircraft, planned at 345 through 2017 as of June 2008. [http://www.uh-72a.com/news-feature-story/news_feature_2008_06_7.asp "The UH-72A “comes home” to its new Army assignment in Mississippi"] , EADS North America, June 7, 2008.] As of May 2008, EADS NA had delivered 26 Lakotas, all on time or ahead of schedule. [http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN0952467620080511 EADS underscores commitment to U.S. production] ] The UH-72A is being produced at American Eurocopter's facility in Columbus, Mississippi. Production is currently transitioning over from local assembly of aircraft kits received from Eurocopter Deutschland to full local production, which is slated to begin in March 2009.

Design

The UH-72A is designed to take on a range of missions, from general support and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) to personnel recovery and counter-narcotics operations. They are planned to replace the UH-1 and OH-58A/C, which are older light utility helicopters, and supplant other types in domestic use.

The UH-72A is being procured as a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product, thereby greatly simplifying logistics support of the fleet. EADS NA has teamed with Sikorsky to provide Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the UH-72A, through its Helicopter Support, Inc. (HSI)/Sikorsky Support Services, Inc. (SSSI) subsidiaries.

Operational history

The first aircraft was delivered on December 11, 2006 in Columbus, Mississippi. [Sims, Paul. "Ready for flight. Eurocopter delivers first UH-72A to U.S. Army as world?s media watches." Starkville Daily News. 12 December 2006.] All aircraft are expected to be delivered by June 30, 2016.

On 12 December 2006, General Richard A. Cody, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and Joe Red Cloud, a chief of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Lakota Nation, accepted the first UH-72A. Initial helicopters were sent to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. for medical evacuation missions in January 2007. The UH-72A Lakotas will replace UH-60 Black Hawks, which will be transferred to the Army National Guard for operational missions. [http://www.army.mil/-news/2006/12/11/923-army-unveils-light-utility-helicopter-uh-72a-lakota/ US Army unveils UH-72A Lakota] ]

On 20 June 2007 the National Training Center Aeromedical Aviation Detachment received its sixth UH-72A, and became the first operational unit to field the Lakota. [http://www.northamerica.eads.net/1024/en/breaking_news/2007%20Press%20Releases/2007_06_19_UH-72A_enters_service_US_Army_unit.htm/ UH-72A Light Utility Helicopter Enters Operational Service with the First Full-equipped US Army Unit] ] In July 2007 the second unit was fielded. This was the Training and Doctrine Command(TRADOC) Flight Detachment at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

The UH-72A was fielded to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) located at Fort Polk, Louisiana on September 7, 2007. Fort Polk is currently operating 10 LUHs and will stand up the first LUH battalion in FY09 with 26 aircraft. Approximately one-third of Lakotas will be delivered to regular Army units, with the remaining two-thirds serving with the Army National Guard.

In August 2007, a report by the DoD's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) noted that, although the Lakota "is effective in the performance of light utility missions" it was prone to overheating during heating in the desert conditions of Fort Irwin, when not equipped with air conditioning systems.Associated Press. [http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3847620 "New Army chopper overheats"] , ABC News, November 10, 2007.] Work was already in hand to add air conditioning units to those aircraft destined for desert operation and to enhance the Lakota's cabin air flow, thereby avoiding overheating.

On 12 September 2008, a contract for five UH-72As for the United States Naval Test Pilot School was announced. [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=3862 Five UH-72As for the US Navy Test Pilot School] ]

Operators

;MLT
* Armed Forces of Malta (one on order [ [http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msrv/msfullart.asp?an=21357 maltaStar.com ] ] );USA
* United States Army
* United States Navy - United States Naval Test Pilot School (5 on order for deliver from October 2009)

pecifications (UH-72A)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

crew=2 pilots
capacity=8 troops or 2 stretchers and medical crew
length main=42 ft 8 in
length alt=13.03 m
height main=11 ft 4 in
height alt=3.45 m
span main=36 ft 1 in
span alt=11.00 m
area main=1023 sq ft
area alt=94.98 m2
empty weight main=3,950 lb
empty weight alt=1,792 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=3,953 lb
useful load alt=1,793 kg
max takeoff weight main=7,903 lb
max takeoff weight alt=3,585 kg

engine (prop)=Turbomeca Arriel IE2
type of prop=turboshafts
number of props=2
power main=738 shp
power alt=551 kW

max speed main=145 kts
max speed alt=167 mph, 269 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
range main=370 nm
range alt=426 miles, 685 km
ceiling main=18,000 ft
ceiling alt=5,791 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Eurocopter EC 145

similar aircraft=
* UH-1 Iroquois
* OH-58 Kiowa
* UH-60 Black Hawk

lists=
* List of helicopters
* List of military aircraft of the United States

see also=
* Bell ARH-70
* US Helicopter Armament Subsystems
* U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command

References

External links

* [http://www.army.mil/aps/08/information_papers/transform/Lakota.html The Lakota Light Utility Helicopter on US Army site]
* [http://www.uh-72a.com/ EADS North America UH-72A site]
* [http://www.uh-145.com/ EADS North America's LUH proposal]
* [http://www.luh-explorer.com MDHI's LUH proposal]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/luh.htm LUH Program (Global Security)]
* [http://www.helis.com/programs/luh.php LUH competition contenders]