Vietnam interested in US UH-72A Lakota helicopter?
The UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter is considered one of the bright candidates to replace the aging UH-1 Huey.
Currently, the Vietnam People's Air Force is still maintaining a fleet of UH-1 light multi-purpose helicopters with a number of more than 12 aircraft. These are spoils of war obtained after 1975 and are very old, the technical coefficient is no longer the same as the original even though it has been modernized.
Vietnam is believed to be looking for a light helicopter capable of replacing the UH-1 because Russian helicopters such as the Mi-8/17 are much larger and quite cumbersome, not suitable for the role of landing troops, as commented by pilots of both types of vehicles.
Among the candidates being targeted, the UH-72A Lakota is considered to have very high potential. Recently, the US Army posted a photo of a Vietnamese military delegation visiting this vehicle, showing that the interest is real.
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| Vietnamese military delegation takes a photo next to a UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter |
The UH-72A Lakota, manufactured by Eurocopter's US subsidiary, has been selected as the new light utility helicopter for the US Army and National Guard, replacing the UH-1H/V and OH-58A/C.
The first UH-72A was delivered to the US Army in 2006, with a total of 345 planned for purchase.
Basic specifications of the UH-72ALakota: Crew of 2; length 13.03 m; main rotor diameter 11 m; height 3.45 m; empty weight 1.79 tons; maximum take-off weight 3.58 tons.
The aircraft is equipped with 2 Turbomeca Arrius 1E2 engines with a capacity of 551 kW (738 horsepower) each, for a maximum speed of 268 km/h, a ceiling of 5,480 m, a range of 685 km, a maximum load capacity of 1,790 kg or to transport 9 soldiers with full weapons and equipment.
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| The UH-72A Lakota utility helicopter is being used in large numbers by the US Army Air Force alongside the UH-60 Blackhawk. |
In addition to the transport-troop carrier variant, the UH-72A Lakota also has an armed version, the AAS-72X, equipped with machine guns, rockets and anti-tank missiles for reconnaissance missions as well as fire support for infantry.
Thanks to its advantages such as high flexibility, extreme reliability in operation and maintenance, combined with the powerful weapons, the UH-72A Lakota helicopter proves to be a strong candidate to replace the UH-1s that are about to retire.
With increasingly tight defense relations, the prospect of the UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter soon appearing in the S-shaped strip of land is considered quite bright.
