- Airbus U.S. Space & Defense received a $323.7 million Army contract modification for UH-72 Lakota logistics support and engineering services through December 2026.
- The work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with $100.1 million in fiscal 2026 Army operation and maintenance funds obligated at award.
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense has received a $323,7 million contract modification to continue logistics support and engineering services for the U.S. Army’s UH-72 Lakota helicopter fleet, according to a newly issued contract notice.
The modification, identified as P00214 under contract W58RGZ-22-C-0022, covers ongoing sustainment work for the Lakota platform, which is widely used by the Army for training, medical evacuation support, and domestic response missions. The award was issued to Airbus U.S. Space & Defense Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
According to the contract notice, work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2026. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $100,084,643 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, based at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is listed as the contracting activity.
The UH-72 Lakota, manufactured by Airbus and operated by the U.S. Army, serves as the service’s primary light utility helicopter. It is used across the force for initial entry rotary-wing training, aeromedical evacuation, and support to civil authorities, including disaster response and homeland missions. The aircraft is a militarized version of the Airbus H145 and has been in Army service for nearly two decades.
The new contract modification focuses on logistics support and engineering services, which are critical to maintaining fleet availability and safety. These efforts include sustainment planning, technical support, and system-level engineering work designed to keep aircraft operational across multiple Army installations.
The award comes as the Lakota fleet reaches a major operational milestone. According to a press release from Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, the U.S. Army’s UH-72 Lakota helicopter fleet at Fort Rucker has surpassed one million flight hours. Fort Rucker, Alabama, is the Army’s primary aviation training center and hosts a large portion of the Lakota fleet used for pilot instruction.
In a statement, Didier Cormary, vice president and head of Military Helicopter and Uncrewed Systems for Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, said, “Our aircraft continues to prove its value to the U.S. Army and achieving this milestone reinforces why the Army chose the Lakota – superior safety, training versatility, highest availability across the fleet and lowest cost to maintain.”
Cormary also highlighted the workforce behind the program, saying, “Our success is a testament to the many U.S. military veterans who built the helicopter and take pride in supporting the aviators who serve our nation at home and abroad.”
The Army has consistently pointed to the UH-72’s role in reducing operating costs and easing pressure on frontline combat aircraft. By assigning non-combat missions and training tasks to the Lakota, the service has been able to preserve more complex and expensive helicopters for operational deployments.
Sustainment contracts such as this one are central to that strategy. Engineering services help address wear-and-tear issues associated with high flight-hour usage, particularly in training environments where aircraft operate daily. Logistics support ensures the steady flow of spare parts, technical data, and maintenance planning needed to avoid aircraft downtime.