Airbus will continue to provide spare parts, related materials and engineering support for the U.S. Army’s fleet of 482 UH-72A and UH-72B Lakota utility and training helicopters under a potential five-year, $1.5 billion follow-on contract.
Airbus said Monday its U.S. space and defense business will oversee the Contractor Logistics Support contract, which has a base term of six months and an option period of four and a half years.
Lakota is a twin-engine aircraft used by the Army National Guard to perform counterdrug and border missions. Airbus produces the UH-72B variant at its Columbus, Mississippi-based facility and manages logistics through its Dallas-based facility.
The company will provide support services across 67 sites in the U.S. and abroad, including Fort Rucker in Alabama and National Guard bases in 43 states.
Col. Calvin Lane, U.S. Army utility project manager, said Airbus has provided product and support services for UH-72A aircraft for nearly 20 years.
“This contract underscores the Army’s trust in the aircraft’s capabilities, and we look forward to the continued support this contract provides to the UH-72 fleet,” added Lane.
