For Mississippi Army National Guard , First UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters

ARLINGTON, VA: The Army National Guard is receiving new, front-line, state-of-the-art UH-72A helicopters, which will improve its capability to perform home security missions, disaster relief, search and rescue, medical evacuations, counterdrug and other vital missions. They will replace Vietnam-era helicopters in the current Army National Guard inventory.

Formal presentation of the U.S. Army National Guard's first two new UH-72A Light Utility Helicopters, which are being received by the Mississippi Army National Guard, will take place on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at the Aviation Support Facility in Tupelo, Mississippi

UH-72A Lakotas are being acquired from EADS North America, which is producing them at a new helicopter center of excellence in Columbus, Mississippi. Current U.S. Army planning calls for a total 345 UH-72As to be acquired through 2017, of which 200 will be delivered to Army National Guard units throughout the country.

The UH-72A program represents one of the most rapid introductions of an Army aircraft in the service's history. The first two helicopters to be presented June 7 to the Mississippi National Guard are the 28th and 29th UH-72As delivered by EADS North America -- all of which were provided on or ahead of schedule.