U.S. Representatives from Texas, Joe Barton (R) and Marc Veasey (D) joined leaders of American Eurocopter, EADS North America and Turbomeca USA at a Friday rally calling on Congress to restore funding for the Army’s UH-72A Lakota helicopter in the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
The rally took place at EADS North America’s American Eurocopter facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, which employs more than 600 people.
American Eurocopter performs all engineering changes for Lakota modifications and upgrades in Grand Prairie, and also trains Lakota pilots and maintainers from the Army, Army National Guard and Navy.
The Lakota is manufactured by American Eurocopter in Columbus, Miss., by a 300-person workforce that is more than 50 percent U.S. military veterans, according to the company.
Last month, a rally for restoration of the funds took place at the American Eurocopter plant (Defense Daily, May 31).
The Army plans for a fleet of 315 of the helicopters. The reduction of 31 aircraft comes because the OH-58 aircraft in the training fleet can fulfill that mission, and the Lakotas aren’t needed (Defense Daily, April 23).
Proposed cuts in the 2014 budget submitted to Congress in April would reduce production of the Lakota in 2014-2015 by 31 aircraft. The cuts, which would result in negligible savings, would effectively end Lakota production by the end of 2014 and endanger the jobs of hundreds of American workers, the companies said in a statement.
Every one of the 267 Lakota helicopters delivered to date has been on time and on budget, the companies said.
“The Lakota has been a great helicopter for the U.S. Army,” Barton said. “Far too many projects are completed over budget and past deadline but the Lakota program has proved to be consistent and effective. “Much of that success is because of the hard work and expertise of those in the Great State of Texas and particularly the Sixth District.
Barton said he is working with his House colleagues to get a study done to find additional ways the Lakota can be used. He’d like to see the study included in the final version of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.
Veasey said, “These cuts are hurtful and damaging–they hurt families who rely on these jobs and (Dallas-Ft. Worth) DFW businesses that work with the program…Proposed cuts to the Lakota program are a misguided attempt to find savings in a way that would cost the Metroplex severe job loss and economic revenue.”
“The Lakota costs significantly less to purchase, own and operate than any other aircraft available to do the mission,” said Sean O’Keefe, EADS North America Chairman and CEO. “It is fully meeting the requirements of the Army and National Guard, and it can easily and affordably be modified to serve in a wider range of missions, whether in peacetime or deployed into combat zones.”
Marc Paganini, president and chief executive of American Eurocopter, said: “We have provided an aircraft that performs every day with a more than 90 percent availability rate. That is unheard of across other Army aviation platforms. Our employees have performed outstanding work equipping the men and women of the U.S. military with the best aircraft possible.”
“The jobs of many of Turbomeca’s 600-plus employees, both in Grand Prairie and at our manufacturing plant in Monroe, N.C., are tied to this aircraft program,” said Russ Spray, president and chief executive of Turbomeca USA, the engine supplier for the Lakota. “The Lakota program is important economic stimulus in the U.S., but it also provides the U.S. armed forces with a versatile and needed aircraft.”