The United States Army has awarded two contracts to Airbus Helicopters, Inc. to deliver a total of 51 UH-72A Lakotas, on which Safran Electronics & Defense, Avionics USA, LLC supplies critical avionics systems.
The awards came in two contracts with the initial award for 35 UH-72A Lakotas and a contract modification to deliver an additional 16 shipsets. With these contract awards, Safran continues its long partnership with Airbus Helicopters, Inc. and its commitment to support the U.S. Army.
There have been more than 423 Lakotas delivered with the Safran supplied avionics package consisting of the autopilot system, the Attitude & Heading Reference System (AHRS) and a data acquisition unit since the program began in 2005.
“We are proud to be a part of the Lakota program and to partner with Airbus Helicopters to deliver on-cost and high-quality avionics equipment. This is a great achievement for our customer and our supply chain partners,” said Trice Smith, President and CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense, Avionics USA, LLC.
Last year, Safran Electronics & Defense, Avionics USA, LLC, earned the “Best On-Target Quality Performance 2017” award from Airbus Helicopters Inc. for successfully delivering “first-time-right” units.
Last Friday,Airbus Helicopters, Inc. announced it has received a contract valued at approximately $116 million to deliver 16 additional UH-72A Lakotas for the United States Army. The contract is the company’s second this year, highlighting the U.S. Army’s confidence and growth capability of the Lakota program.
This new contract includes the UH-72A production aircraft, associated technical and flight operator manuals and program management in training configuration for the Initial Entry Rotary Wing mission at Ft. Rucker. The aircraft provided under this contract are from a 2016 fiscal year (FY) procurement decision.
The UH-72A is a twin-engine utility helicopter used for a wide range of military operations including troop and light cargo transport, MEDEVAC, VIP transport, border security, and Homeland Defense.
Airbus has delivered more than 423 UH-72A Lakota aircraft from its facilities in Columbus, Mississippi, since the award of the first contract in 2005. Available in multiple configurations, the UH 72A Lakota is the lowest cost to buy, own and operate of any U.S. military helicopter in production. The Lakota is a key component of the U.S. Army’s Aviation Restructuring Initiative (ARI) and the primary rotary-wing trainer for the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
The UH 72A Lakota is fielded in and out of the Continental United States in several different configurations, performing a number of essential missions for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and the National Guard.
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated revenues of € 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 129,000.
Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies.
In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defense markets. Safran has a global presence, with more than 58,000 employees and sales of 16.5 billion Euros in 2017.
Safran Electronics & Defense is a world leader in optronics, avionics, electronics and critical software for both civil and defense applications. The company’s products are deployed worldwide on more than 1000 ships, 25,000 land vehicles and 10,000 aircraft.
