National Guard to replace four aging helicopters
BY JERRY WOFFORD World Staff Writer
Friday, January 04, 2013
1/04/13 at 4:56 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Army National Guard will receive four new helicopters this year to replace part of its aging fleet, the Guard announced Thursday.
The Oklahoma National Guard will receive two of the UH-72A Lakota helicopters in April and the other two in May, a news release states.
They will replace four OH-58C Kiowa helicopters that have been used by the Guard for more than 30 years.
The Lakota is a twin-engine platform with a four-bladed main rotor. It was designed as a light utility helicopter.
The helicopters the Guard will receive in April will be new from the factory. The other two are coming from other states and are no more than 4 years old, Maj. Geoff Legler said.
They will be based initially at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, he said.
The UH-72A will significantly increase the Oklahoma National Guard's ability to conduct emergency support missions, the release states.
Its primary missions will include homeland security, disaster response, medical evacuations and firefighting command and control.
Oklahoma National Guard air crews and maintenance personnel are completing training on the UH-72As ahead of their arrival.
