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UH-72A Light Utility Helicopters come to the nation's capital in Army National Guard service

March 12, 2009

Deliveries of the U.S. Army’s first MEDEVAC-configured UH-72A Lakotas to a National Guard unit represent the Light Utility Helicopter’s latest program achievement as American Eurocopter continues to provide these twin-engine rotorcraft on – or ahead – of schedule.

The Lakota’s small footprint is demonstrated by its touchdown on a corner behind the D.C. Armory, which was made while traffic continued to flow just yards away on 19th Street.  This is one of the three UH-72As received by the 121st Medical Company (Air Ambulance).

The new UH-72As were received by the District of Columbia National Guard earlier this month, which marked their arrival in the nation’s capital during a formal ceremony today at the D.C. Armory. 

“The UH-72A is the result of a great partnership with the U.S. Army and the Lakota industry team,” said General Craig R. McKinley, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.  “These helicopters will bring the National Guard further into the 21st century to meet the challenges faced by our nation.”

American Eurocopter builds the Lakota at its Columbus, Mississippi facility for UH-72A program prime contractor EADS North America.

A total of eight Lakotas will be operated by the D.C. National Guard on missions that range from homeland security and military support flights to assistance for civil authorities.  Six are to be flown by the 121st Medical Company (Air Ambulance) as replacements for its aging UH-1 rotary-wing aircraft, and two others will be assigned to the 1-224th Aviation Battalion (Security and Support) – which currently has legacy OH-58s. 

The MEDEVAC-configured UH-72As carry two stretchers, plus the associated medical equipment and systems.  Two medics are positioned in rear-facing seats behind the pilot and co-pilot. 

While other MEDEVAC-capable Lakotas have been delivered to the Army’s active component since 2006, the D.C. National Guard becomes the initial Guard unit with these aircraft.

D.C. National Guard personnel used an American Eurocopter kit to rapidly fold the UH-72A’s main rotor blades.  This allowed the aircraft to be moved inside the D.C. Armory for today’s official delivery ceremony.

The 121st Medical Company’s initial three UH-72As were flown March 5 from the factory in Mississippi to the Washington, D.C. area, and an additional three will be provided next month.   Lakotas for the 1-224th Aviation Battalion will be delivered in 2012.

Lt. Col. Maureen E. Bellamy, who is the D.C. National Guard’s State Aviation Officer, said the UH-72A provides significantly improved mission capabilities, as well as enhanced operating safety when compared to the UH-1s and OH-58s.

“The Lakota’s much more responsive main rotor system gives a very smooth ride and great handling, while the two engines offer redundancy – which is a significant factor when flying over dense urban areas like the District of Columbia, where safe landing areas are not readily available,” Bellamy said.  “The aircraft’s outstanding avionics package allows us to communicate directly with the first responders – law enforcement agencies, fire departments, hospitals and others – something that our old radios did not allow us to do.”

Bellamy said Army aviators give high marks to the UH-72A’s glass cockpit and its state-of-the-art instrument package, which includes an autopilot and dual GPS (one of which is linked to the autopilot).

Another operational plus cited by Bellamy is the UH-72A’s lighter weight and smaller footprint – which allows the rotary-wing aircraft to maneuver in close while producing less rotor wash than larger helicopters.  “It clearly makes operations safer and easier at hospital helipads and anywhere else where the landing zone is small,” she added.

The UH-72A’s MEDEVAC configuration for the 121st Medical Company (Air Ambulance) includes two stretchers, along with sidewall-mounted suction equipment, a ventilator and monitors for a patient’s vital signs.

This capability was illustrated by yesterday’s touchdown of the UH-72As behind the D.C. National Guard Armory, which was made on an intersection’s corner while traffic continued to flow just yards away. 

Two Lakotas were flown to the Armory for display at today’s official delivery ceremony.  D.C. National Guard personnel used the UH-72A’s blade folding feature to facilitate the aircraft’s entry into the Armory.  The blade folding process took approximately 10 minutes, allowing the helicopters to be towed by a HUMVEE.  Army maintainers said there is a high level of interest in introducing this capability, which is accomplished with the use of a simple kit provided by American Eurocopter. 

“I’m extremely proud to be with the first Guard unit receiving the MEDEVAC UH-72A, and I want to thank everyone at EADS North America for their support of this fielding,” Major General Errol R. Schwartz, Commanding General, District of Columbia National Guard.  “I also want to thank American Eurocopter for lending us the blade folding kit – as I couldn’t imagine Col. Bellamy flying the Lakotas into the Armory through the back door!”
 
Both UH-72As displayed at the Armory delivery event were fully equipped for their MEDEVAC role, outfitted with two stretches and medical bags, as well as side-wall mounted suction equipment, a ventilator and systems monitor patients’ vital signs.  Two oxygen tanks installed on the inside of the helicopter’s rear clamshell doors are supplemented by a cabin bag with additional oxygen.

All of the D.C. National Guard’s UH-72As will be based at Fort Belvoir’s Davison Army Airfield, which is located across the Potomac River in Virginia.    They will be joined at this facility by eight more Lakotas assigned to the Military District of Washington

Of the 345 UH-72As planned for acquisition by the U.S. Army through 2016, 200 are expected to be assigned to Army National Guard units throughout the United States.  Of this total, some 25 percent will be configured for MEDEVAC missions.

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