Columbus firm gets order for 20 Army helos

The Defense Department’s recently passed FY-14 budget will included funding for the Army to procure 20 Lakota (UH-72A) helicopters from Airbus Helicopter – formerly American Eurocopter. The helicopters will be built at AH’s facilities in Lowndes County, Miss. In the initial budget request, the Army had requested 31 of the helicopters, but mandated sequestration budget cuts reduced that number to 10. However, Congress' final allocations doubled it allowing the military to continue using the helicopters in domestic emergencies and training. Source: WVTA-Tupelo, Jan. 21, 2014.