Texas politicos join AE to protect helos

A pair of Texas congressmen joined the leadership of EADS North America, America Eurocopter of Columbus, Miss., and Grand Prairie at a rally-round the jobs campaign Friday in Texas, requesting Congress to restore FY-14 funding 31 Army UH-72A Lakota helicopters. The AE-Columbus plant, with its 300 workers, produces Lakotas for the Army, Army National Guard and Navy at a unit cost of just $5.5 million each. AE-Grand Prairie, with 600 workers, performs engineering changes and modification upgrades to the helicopters. Source: Market Wired, June 7, 2013.