Procurement: Cop Chopper Replaces Old Hueys

Archives

December 1, 2012: The U.S. Army has bought another 34 twin engine UH-72A ("Lakota") Light Utility Helicopters, for $5.4 million each. Additional electronics and anti-missile systems add several millions to the cost per chopper. With the new order the army has bought 312 of the 345 UH-72As it plans on getting. Most have already been delivered.

Built by European firm EADS, the UH-72A is a militarized version of the EC145, a helicopter long popular with law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. The EC145 was introduced eight years ago and has been very popular with its users. The UH-72A purchase is a side effect of the cancellation of the Comanche scout helicopter eight years ago (mainly because of constantly increasing costs). Comanche was perceived as too expensive and complex. The UH-72A mainly replaces the few remaining UH-1 (“Huey”) helicopters, which are being retired because of old age.

The UH-72A has about the same capacity as the UH-1, despite its smaller size. The 3.6 ton UH-72A has a top speed of 260 kilometers an hour and a max range of 660 kilometers. Average endurance per sortie is about two hours. The helicopter has a crew of two and can carry up to eight passengers or about three-quarters of a ton of cargo or weapons. The UH-72A has been popular with its users and has had a readiness (for flying) rate of 90 percent.

There is also an AAH-72X armed scout version in development, which can carry about a ton of weapons (machine-gun pod, plus guided and unguided rockets) and sensors and is competing to become the new armed scout helicopter and replace the Vietnam era OH-58D. The AAH-72X is basically an armed version of the new UH-72A, with added electronics to make it an all-weather aircraft and more aware of its surroundings. This is part of a second attempt to obtain a new scout helicopter. An earlier (2005) competition had been won by the ARH-70 but that contract was canceled after the manufacturer increased the price by 70 percent (to $14.5 million per helicopter). The AAH-72X has an inside track because the military is pleased with the UH-72A.

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close