The U.S. Army has awarded Airbus Helicopters a contract for up to 12 UH-72B Lakota helicopters, with an initial obligation of $115.4 million and a potential cumulative value of $140.7 million if options are exercised. The firm-fixed-price deal covers aircraft procurement, related equipment and programme management, with work tied to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and final assembly in Columbus, Mississippi.
Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal received one bid and awarded the work to Airbus Helicopters Inc. Deliveries are expected from 2027 through 2029, and the contract is due to run until the end of 2030. The order also includes jettisonable cockpit doors, air-conditioning system installation and engine inlet barrier filters, alongside the UH-72B airframes.
The procurement extends Lakota production for Army National Guard use and keeps Airbus’s U.S. military helicopter line active through the end of the decade. The UH-72B is the MBB-BK 117 D3 configuration, and the Army’s Lakota fleet is already a substantial part of its light utility helicopter inventory.