
Free from legal shackles it has been forced to wear for more than two years, the Army has signed a $273 million deal with Airbus Helicopters for additional UH-72 Lakota aircraft.Announced March 8, the contract is for 35 of the light utility helicopters the Army uses to train rotorcraft pilots for other non-combat utility roles.The aircraft in this deal include 17 UH-72As for initial-entry rotary wing training at Fort Rucker, Ala., and 18 of the same variant for observation and…