UH-72 Modernization

Priority

Army National Guard

The Issue

The UH-72 Lakota serves as the principal enabler to the Army National Guard Security and Support Battalions (S&S). The S&S Battalions conduct critical Homeland Defense missions using the UH-72 Lakota. Missions include reconnaissance, air movement, casualty evacuation, search and rescue, and command and control in support of local, state, and federal agencies. As the earliest fielded Lakota aircraft approach 20 years in service, the Lakota program noticeably lacks a funded strategy to address common fleet management issues including long-term sustainment, block upgrade, modernization, and mitigation of aircraft attrition. The implementation of a long-term life-cycle sustainment and management strategy for Lakota, designed similarly to other Army aircraft fleet strategies, mitigates the acceleration of operating and support costs that are typical as all fleets age.

Recommendation

The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) urges Congress to:

Deliver 8 additional UH-72B (New or Remanufactured) to ARNG Security and Support (S&S) Battalions
Complete of Install all remaining UH-72A MEP equipment upgrades (Approx 91)
Integrate and install essential MEP capability (ICW ESM-80) for each of the currently and soon to be fielded (20) UH-72B Security and Support Battalion aircraft in the ARNG
Direct Army to execute all testing, certification, and conduct gap analysis to validate UH-72B (using UH-72A to B Renew aircraft and specifications) for deployability to non-permissive mission environments