A $140 million contract covers 12 of the newer UH-72Bs from Airbus Helicopters.
The US Army has issued a contract to Airbus Helicopters covering production of more UH-72B Lakota utility rotorcraft.
Awarded on 14 August, the $140 million deal covers 10 firm orders with options for two more. The aircraft are to be assembled at Airbus’ facility in Columbus, Mississippi, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027 and continue through 2029.
The latest UH-72B order adds to the first tranche of 18 aircraft that entered service with the Army National Guard in 2021, serving medical evacuation, surveillance and disaster-response missions.
The B-model Lakota is a modernised successor to the UH-72A, which Airbus began delivering to the US Army in 2006. That fleet has grown to include more than 220 examples used as the primary trainer for new pilots, along with 212 UH-72As and 18 UH-72Bs flying domestic utility missions for the National Guard.
Both rotorcraft are based on the Airbus Helicopters H145 civil type.
The UH-72B features a five-blade main rotor, versus the four-blade configuration of the earlier UH-72A. The newer Lakota variant also has a distinctive Fenestron shrouded tail rotor, instead of the open tail rotor of its predecessor.
“Army and National Guard pilots need modern technology and a proven aircraft they can count on to meet evolving mission demands,” says Alex Veneziano, chief executive of Airbus US Space & Defense. “Continued modernisation ensures the Army’s Lakota fleet remains a critical part of Army aviation for years.”
However, the Lakota fleet is expected to dramatically shrink in the coming years.
On the same day it awarded the UH-72B purchase contract, the US Army announced the selection of Texas-based M1 Support Services to revamp its rotary-wing training pipeline. That includes replacing the UH-72A with the Robinson R66 light single as the primary training aircraft.
The army has not said what it has planned for the UH-72As currently assigned to training duty, although the service has separately said it plans to auction off older Sikorsky UH-60Ls targeted for retirement.
One possibility could be converting the conventional A-models into optionally uncrewed platforms for low-cost logistics support, similar to what Sikorsky is proposing with its uncrewed “MX” Black Hawk. Sikorsky is also offering a fully autonomous UH-60 derivative called the U-Hawk.
Airbus is working with Shield AI, L3Harris and Parry Labs to develop the MQ-72C – a fully autonomous vertical take-off and landing logistics platform derived from the UH-72B. A demonstrator is already flying as part of the US Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector programme.
That work will continue for the next several years, with Shield AI and Airbus saying they plan to advance the MQ-72C to a maturity level resembling a fully qualified human aviator.
Airbus says it aims to be ready for serial production and fielding of a final MQ-72 design by 2029.
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