May 31,2008:
The U.S. is supplying Malta with
one of its new UH-72A ("Lakota") helicopters. The U.S. Army pays about $9
million for each of these twin engine helicopters, but Malta is getting them at
a discount price of about $6 million. In the United States, the UH-72A is
replacing the UH-60 for a lot of jobs that don't require a helicopter quite
that large (about a third larger). Malta is the first export customer for the
UH-72A.
The U.S.
Army is buying 332 UH-72A (formerly called
the UH-145) helicopters, from European firm EADS. The UH-72A is a
militarized version of the EC145, a helicopter very popular with law
enforcement agencies, including the FBI. The UH-72A purchase is a side effect
of the cancellation of the Comanche helicopter, which was perceived as too expensive
and complex. The UH-72A will mainly replace the aging UH-1 helicopters, which
are being retired.
The UH-72A
has about the same capacity as the UH-1, despite its smaller size. The 3.6 ton
UH-72A has a top speed of 260 kilometers an hour and a max range of 660
kilometers. Average endurance per sortie is about two hours. The helicopter has
a crew of two, and can carry up to eight passengers, or about three-quarters of
a ton of cargo or weapons. The EC145 was introduced six years ago, and has been
very popular with its users. By the end of the year, about fifty UH-72As will
have been delivered to the U.S. Army.