Helikopter - EC145 selger godt

Av og til slår det meg at "noen" har gjort et riktig valg. EC145 er en formidabel maskin og T2 utgaven, den med fenestron,  kommer snart i norsk register som ambulansehelikopter. Lakota, den militære utgaven, ble nærmest kansellert i US Army etter budsjettproblemer, men nå er den tilbake, og godt er det. I norsk sammenheng mener jeg å hevde med styrke at ambulansehelikoptrene må ha ekstern heis som standard utstyr og heisoperatør når det kreves. Dermed vil en få et skikkelig supplement til redningshelikoptrene.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

US Army to Buy 41 UH-72 Lakotas in FY 2015

By Andrew Drwiega

Airbus Helicopters Inc, part of Airbus Defense and Space, has been awarded a $220.5 million contract by the U.S. Army for 41 additional UH-72A Lakota helicopters with Airborne Radio Communications 231 radios.

The helicopters will be built at the company’s Columbus, Miss. plant and all deliveries are scheduled for completion by the end of July 2017. 

A Colorado Army National Guard UH-72 Lakota conducts flood relief operations near Fort Collins, Co., 2013. Photo by U.S. Army, Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy

Airbus Helicopter has already delivered 331 UH-72 Lakotas and the new order brings the total number ordered by the U.S. Army to 400.

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said: “The Lakota helicopters have proven to be effective and affordable aircraft for the Army

Under the Army’s Aviation Restructuring Initiative (ARI), the UH-72 is to become the training aircraft of choice at Fort Rucker, Ala. They have also been used to support National Guard missions as well as border protection and other utility roles. 

The U.S. Army is seeking to procure more UH-72s in FY 2016 (28) and FY 2017 (18).