AHI 10th anniversary at NTPS

Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) hosted a ceremony with leaders of the Naval Test Pilot School (NTPS) to commemorate the UH-72A Lakota’s 10th anniversary at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md. AHI established the Lakota program in Maryland in July 2009. Over the past 10 years, the UH-72A Lakota fleet there has consistently exceeded operational availability targets and continues to provide high levels of mission readiness with availability rates averaging nearly 94 percent. "Experimental test pilots need a reliable and versatile aircraft … at the edge of its performance envelope, and we’re confident that we have provided the best value over the last 10 years for this requirement," said Scott Tumpak, AHI Vice President of Military Programs. The Lakota is a version of the highly successful EC-145 twin-engine rotorcraft used by Navy, Army and many other military units worldwide. AHI has delivered more than 430 Lakota aircraft to the Army. AHI has a vested interest in delivering the effective training systems for the Pentagon’s rotary-wing aviators. Recently, the company offered its H135 as its proposal for the Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) - to be known as the TH-73A. The UH-72A Lakota is built in Columbus, Miss., the same location where AHI has manufactured 555+ helicopters for the U.S. government. (Source: Verticalmag.com 07/30/19)