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US Army awards Airbus $140 million contract for 12 new UH-72B Lakota helicopters

On August 14, 2026, the U.S. Army awarded Airbus Helicopters Inc. a $115.4 million firm-fixed-price contract for 10 UH-72B Lakota light utility helicopters, with options for two additional units bringing the total cumulative face value to $140.7 million. The order extends production of the five-bladed, Fenestron-equipped variant for Army National Guard operational units through 2030, delivering enhanced high-altitude hover performance and digital flight controls for domestic response missions. The contract action occurs as the service prepares to remove roughly 220 older UH-72A models from initial entry pilot training under the Flight School Next initiative. Read full defense news at this link...

The UH-72B Lakota is essentially a more modern UH-72A, with more powerful engines, a five-blade main rotor, an enclosed Fenestron tail rotor, greater payload capacity and a newer digital cockpit with a four-axis autopilot that can automate more of the flight. (Picture source: South Carolina Army National Guard)



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