Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
August 15, 2007 By Bob Cox, Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Pentagon weapons testers say the Army's new European-designed and built light utility helicopter has a couple of serious shortcomings that must be remedied before it can fulfill many assigned missions.
A new report by the director of operational test and evaluation says the Eurocopter UH-72A Lakota helicopter "is not operationally suitable," especially in hot environments, because its cockpit electronics systems could fail because the air conditioning is inadequate.
The Army plans to buy 322 of the helicopters, a slightly modified version of the commercial Eurocopter EC-145, which it selected last year for use by stateside Army and National Guard units for light transport and medical-evacuation missions.
The initial aircrafts produced under the $2 billion contract have been built in France. American Eurocopter, the Grand Prairie-based arm of Eurocopter and parent company EADS, will build the bulk of the new helicopters at a plant in Columbus, Miss.
The report, based on testing that the Army performed with six of the new helicopters in the desert conditions of Fort Irwin, Calif., found that there was much to like about the UH-72A.
It says that the aircraft "is effective in the performance of light utility missions" and that it appears to be reliable and easily maintained. It also says that it has a low cost to operate and that it will be a significant improvement over the aging UH-1H Hueys and OH-58 Kiowas now in operation.
But the aircraft cannot haul the desired loads at high-altitude and hot-day conditions, and it is too small or is not organized to allow a medical attendant to care for two critically injured patients on stretchers. It also said crew members, patients and passengers would become very uncomfortable because of the tightly sealed cabin's poor air conditioning.
The Army wants to use the helicopters to not only replace older aircraft but also to allow it to move its workhorse Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawks to combat units.
A Eurocopter official said that the UH-72 meets the Army's specific mandatory requirements and that ways to address key issues identified in the report are being discussed.
"We're working with the Army ... to address the capability of the air conditioning in this aircraft," said Randy Hutcherson, vice president of rotorcraft for EADS North America and manager of the light utility helicopter program.
The Army never specified a requirement that the helicopter be suited to caring for two critically injured patients at the same time, Hutcherson said, something not even required by civil medical-evacuation aircraft.
Army officials did not return a call seeking comment. They have said that the UH-72 provided the most capability for the price.
The Army chose it in a competition that also included entries from Bell Helicopter, MD Helicopters and Italy's AgustaWestland. The Bell and Agusta offerings were larger, more powerful and costlier.
August 15, 2007 By Bob Cox, Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Pentagon weapons testers say the Army's new European-designed and built light utility helicopter has a couple of serious shortcomings that must be remedied before it can fulfill many assigned missions.
A new report by the director of operational test and evaluation says the Eurocopter UH-72A Lakota helicopter "is not operationally suitable," especially in hot environments, because its cockpit electronics systems could fail because the air conditioning is inadequate.
The Army plans to buy 322 of the helicopters, a slightly modified version of the commercial Eurocopter EC-145, which it selected last year for use by stateside Army and National Guard units for light transport and medical-evacuation missions.
The initial aircrafts produced under the $2 billion contract have been built in France. American Eurocopter, the Grand Prairie-based arm of Eurocopter and parent company EADS, will build the bulk of the new helicopters at a plant in Columbus, Miss.
The report, based on testing that the Army performed with six of the new helicopters in the desert conditions of Fort Irwin, Calif., found that there was much to like about the UH-72A.
It says that the aircraft "is effective in the performance of light utility missions" and that it appears to be reliable and easily maintained. It also says that it has a low cost to operate and that it will be a significant improvement over the aging UH-1H Hueys and OH-58 Kiowas now in operation.
But the aircraft cannot haul the desired loads at high-altitude and hot-day conditions, and it is too small or is not organized to allow a medical attendant to care for two critically injured patients on stretchers. It also said crew members, patients and passengers would become very uncomfortable because of the tightly sealed cabin's poor air conditioning.
The Army wants to use the helicopters to not only replace older aircraft but also to allow it to move its workhorse Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawks to combat units.
A Eurocopter official said that the UH-72 meets the Army's specific mandatory requirements and that ways to address key issues identified in the report are being discussed.
"We're working with the Army ... to address the capability of the air conditioning in this aircraft," said Randy Hutcherson, vice president of rotorcraft for EADS North America and manager of the light utility helicopter program.
The Army never specified a requirement that the helicopter be suited to caring for two critically injured patients at the same time, Hutcherson said, something not even required by civil medical-evacuation aircraft.
Army officials did not return a call seeking comment. They have said that the UH-72 provided the most capability for the price.
The Army chose it in a competition that also included entries from Bell Helicopter, MD Helicopters and Italy's AgustaWestland. The Bell and Agusta offerings were larger, more powerful and costlier.