U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter Program
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In 2004, the Department of Defense and the US Army made the decision to terminate the RAH-66 Comanche program. As part of the termination, the Army was allowed to keep the future years funding programmed for the Comanche. To replace the capability that the Comanche was supposed to offer, the Army planned several programs. Three of these were new aircraft. The Army Staff made the decision that these three aircraft, the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and the Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA) were to be existing, in production commercial aircraft modified for Army service. Other programs that arose out of the Commanche termination were the UH-60M and the CH-47F upgrade programs.
The LUH program was initiated in early 2004. The LUH requirement is for 322 helicopters to conduct Home Land Security, administrative, logistic, Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) and support of the Army Test and Training Centers missions. The LUH contract was released in late July of 2005. At least five proposals were received. The competitors included the Bell 210 and Bell 412, MD Explorer, AgustaWestland AW139, and EADS Eurocopter EC145. On 30 June 2006, the Army announced that the EADS entry had won the competition. If all 322 aircraft are procured the contract will be worth over $3 billion . In August, the EADS EC-145 submission was officially designated the UH-72A by the Department of Defense. The LUH marked EADS first major military contract in the North American market, and is among their larger orders overall.
