Lakota may be ’17 budget target

The Defense Department is putting the final touches to its FY 2017 budget requests, which will call for slowing down program production and limiting R&D funds to protect personnel and readiness. DOD’s top money-handlers claim in order to make up a $15 billion between mandated congressional goals and Pentagon necessities will require targeting the equipment side of the budget. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production will likely be slowed. CH-47F and UH-60M Army helicopters - with multi-year procurement deals - are unlikely to see large-scale reductions. However, the AH-64E and UH-72A “Lakota” are not currently multi-year buys and could be targets. However, the Lakota is a priority for Army helicopter training at Fort Rucker, Ala. (Source: Defense News 12/06/15) Central Mississippi Note: Airbus Helicopters Inc. builds UH-72s at its Columbus plant.