| Date | Aug. 14, 2026 |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Force | United States Army |
| Location |
Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, USA
34.70, -86.65 |
| Aircraft | UH-72A Lakota (UH-72 Lakota) |
| Event type | Ordered |
| Change | +12 ordered |
Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal awarded Airbus Helicopters a firm-fixed-price contract for up to 12 UH-72B Lakota helicopters, the MBB-BK 117 D3 variant, together with jettisonable cockpit doors, air conditioning installation, engine inlet barrier filters and program management. The action is worth 115.4 million dollars and brings the cumulative face value of the contract to 140.7 million; one bid was solicited and one received. Work runs at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, through 31 December 2030, funded from fiscal 2024 and 2025 Army aircraft procurement. The order was announced a day after the Army picked a contractor-operated Robinson R66 fleet to replace the Lakota in initial rotary-wing training.
The Army picked M1 Support Services and the Robinson R66 for its Flight School Next contract on August 13, ending the UH-72 Lakota's role in initial pilot training — then awarded Airbus $115.4 million for up to 12 more Lakotas the following day.
