TDA 1 is being used to validate the AAS-72X’s ability to meet the U.S. Army’s armed aerial scout mission requirements. It is shown here on the flight line at Nashville International Airport between flight demonstrations for the AAAA annual conference.

One of the two multi-purpose pylons on TDA 1 is equipped with the M260 seven-shot rocket launcher, which fires 2.75-inch folding fin aerial rockets. The pylons are designed to accommodate the full range of precision and unguided munitions expected to be required by the Army for the Armed Scout mission.

The AAS-72X can accommodate a full range of chin-mounted turrets.  Equipped on TDA 1 is a chin-mounted sensor with FLIR (forward-looking infrared), television and targeting capability.  EADS North America’s UH-72A Lakota, which is derived from the same airframe as the AAS-72X, currently is being equipped with a chin-mounted sensor on Lakotas to be deployed with Army National Guard Security and Support Battalions (S&S Battalions).

American Eurocopter Senior Pilot John Bourgeois shows the floor-mounted ballistic protection installed on the AAS-72X under the pilot and co-pilots' seats.  The AAS-72X’s survivability also is enhanced with the helicopter’s twin-engine design and system redundancy.

The AAS-72X’s other multi-purpose pylon carries an HMP 400 heavy machine gun pod with a 50-caliber M3P machine gun that has a 400-round capacity.    

Maintenance of the AAS-72X is facilitated by easy access to the helicopter’s two turboshaft engines, which have five modules that can be individually removed and replaced, enhancing maintainability.  The AAS-72X’s rigid rotor system also significantly simplifies maintenance.

The AAS-72X’s survivability is enhanced by the helicopter’s agility and small overall profile. This maximizes maneuverability in tight terrain and urban areas, and combined with a low aural signature, reduces detectability. While offering a compact footprint, the AAS-72X has a large cabin with rear clamshell doors, which allows the rotary-wing aircraft to carry an auxiliary fuel tank, troops, additional munitions and supplies.

During a demonstration flight from Nashville International Airport, Pilot John Bourgeois demonstrates the AAS-72X “hands off” flight with the helicopter’s 3-axis autopilot engaged.  The AAS-72X’s modern avionics also include the instrument panel’s Vehicle and Engine Management Display (VEMD), which aids pilots in integrating and synthesizing flight and vehicle information – increasing situational awareness and reducing pilot workload.

During the flight demonstrations from Nashville International Airport, real-time video streaming was provided from the AAS-72X’s chin-mounted sensor to a HUMVEE configured as a command vehicle by Lockheed Martin, which is the AAS-72X’s Mission Equipment Package supplier and integrator.