Photo: Airbus
We often get to talk about the many helicopters deployed by America's military, most of the time thanks to the constant upgrades made to them by the various branches that use them. Most of the time though we only get news about the most high-profile such machines, things like the Vipers or the countless variants of Black Hawks.
But there are other, somewhat more exotic rotary wing aircraft in the service of the American military, and one of them is the UH-72 Lakota.
The Aircraft has been around since the mid-2000s, and came into the world as the military variant of the Eurocopter EC145. Now branded Airbus, the bird has become of the pillars of the U.S. Army's Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) work.
What does that mean? Well, consider that since their introduction in 2006 some 480 of them, in both UH-72A (unarmed) and UH-72B Lakota variants, have entered service with the Army. A large chunk of them, 107, are deployed with the Army National Guard.
Of that fleet, a sizeable portion, meaning 50 of these aircraft (UH-72 variant), will enter a new upgrade program at Airbus' facility in Columbus, Mississippi. Under a $27.8 million contract awarded this week by the U.S. Army, the aerospace company will have to fit the helicopters with the Security & Support Battalion Mission Equipment Package (MEP).
MEP will allow the Lakotas to "conduct day and night operations" and includes new hardware in the form of enhanced digital interfaces and new monitors. These elements, and some that have not been disclosed, will bring new capabilities to the table, including a moving map and an airborne mission management system.
The Army will use the helicopters to conduct domestic operations mostly, specifically in the fields of counter-drug and border security.
In the UH-72A configuration, the Lakota is powered by a pair of Turbomeca Arriel turboshaft engines capable of developing 738 shaft horsepower each. With this gear on, the helicopter can fly at altitudes of over 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) and at speeds of up to 90 mph (145 kph). The maximum range of the helicopter is of about 426 miles (685 km).
The Lakota is controlled by a team of two pilots and if need be it can transport a total of nine people. When used for medevac, two stretchers plus a medical crew can fit inside.
The importance of the helicopter for the operations of the American military became clear in October 2021, when we got word of the entire fleet of these things passing the one million flight hours mark. Aside for the Army National Guard the Lakota is also deployed in the service of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and the Royal Thai Army.
The Aircraft has been around since the mid-2000s, and came into the world as the military variant of the Eurocopter EC145. Now branded Airbus, the bird has become of the pillars of the U.S. Army's Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) work.
What does that mean? Well, consider that since their introduction in 2006 some 480 of them, in both UH-72A (unarmed) and UH-72B Lakota variants, have entered service with the Army. A large chunk of them, 107, are deployed with the Army National Guard.
Of that fleet, a sizeable portion, meaning 50 of these aircraft (UH-72 variant), will enter a new upgrade program at Airbus' facility in Columbus, Mississippi. Under a $27.8 million contract awarded this week by the U.S. Army, the aerospace company will have to fit the helicopters with the Security & Support Battalion Mission Equipment Package (MEP).
MEP will allow the Lakotas to "conduct day and night operations" and includes new hardware in the form of enhanced digital interfaces and new monitors. These elements, and some that have not been disclosed, will bring new capabilities to the table, including a moving map and an airborne mission management system.
The Army will use the helicopters to conduct domestic operations mostly, specifically in the fields of counter-drug and border security.
In the UH-72A configuration, the Lakota is powered by a pair of Turbomeca Arriel turboshaft engines capable of developing 738 shaft horsepower each. With this gear on, the helicopter can fly at altitudes of over 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) and at speeds of up to 90 mph (145 kph). The maximum range of the helicopter is of about 426 miles (685 km).
The Lakota is controlled by a team of two pilots and if need be it can transport a total of nine people. When used for medevac, two stretchers plus a medical crew can fit inside.
The importance of the helicopter for the operations of the American military became clear in October 2021, when we got word of the entire fleet of these things passing the one million flight hours mark. Aside for the Army National Guard the Lakota is also deployed in the service of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and the Royal Thai Army.
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