Army Aviation Association hosts Cribbins Readiness Conference in HSV, highlighting latest in military rotorcraft technology

The Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) hosted the Cribbons Readiness Conference from November 11 to 13 at the Von Braun Center. 

The AAAA is over 20,000 members strong and is led by Major General (Retired) Walt Davis, who is the organization’s 36th president. 

“The Cribbins Readiness Conference is a two-and-a-half-day event held annually in November and brings together aviation trainers, operators, logisticians, project managers, capability managers, research and development experts and more,” Davis told the Business Journal. 

More than 1,700 people attended this year’s conference. Attendees from government, military, industry, and academic backgrounds take part in the event to stay up to date on the latest technology in the aviation sector. 

The conference included networking lunches, panel discussions, and over 140 vendors and exhibitors. 

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense was represented at the conference. 

The company provides rotorcraft, particularly UH-72 Lakotas, to the U.S. Department of Defense. 

“There are nearly 480 UH-72s in the National Guard and in the Army,” Carl Forsling, Senior Business Development Manager at Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, told the Business Journal. “Most notably, you’ve got the over 221 UH-72s supporting the U.S. Army’s initial entry rotary wing training at Fort Novosel.”

Fort Novosel, formerly known as Fort Rucker, is located in Dale County, Alabama.

The Lakota is the safest training aircraft in Fort Novosel history. Pilots are trained on Lakotas before advancing to Blackhawks and Apaches.

The UH-72A was introduced in 2006 and the UH-72B was rolled out in 2021. Between training and combat missions, over 1.5 million flight hours have been logged on these helicopters. 

In addition to conducting military operations, Airbus rotorcraft are used in search and rescue efforts, natural disaster relief, and U.S. border patrol. 

“One of the great things about using a commercially-derived aircraft like this is it’s more affordable — operating costs are lower,” said Forsling. “Especially on the Guard side, where you’re having this aircraft handle diverse requirements in support of Homeland Security as well as disaster relief, search and rescue, delivering supplies, battlefield circulation, counter-narcotics, and Medevac — you’re doing it for a fraction of the cost per hour. You’re maintaining much higher rates of readiness than most military helicopters can.” 

Lakota helicopters were recently used by the South Carolina National Guard to support recovery efforts in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Milton. 

An autonomous, unmanned version of the Lakota will join the Alpha and Bravo models. The service aims to have a flying prototype by 2028 or 2029, said an Airbus spokesperson.

The primary use of this autonomous rotorcraft will be to combat threats in the Pacific, said Forsling. 

Airbus U.S. continuously modifies and updates the technology and design of its rotorcraft to stay on the cutting edge of the needs of its military customers. 

Forsling is confident that Airbus U.S. will continue to serve the needs of the DoD, even as presidential administrations come and go. 

“The national defense posture is going to reflect the values of the elected representatives and we’ll react accordingly,” said Forsling. “We think our portfolio, both on the Army side and also in the Marine Corps, is in line with the future needs of the Defense Department.”

While administrations change over time, the need to address threats and successfully conduct missions will remain constant. 

“Lakotas have been around for a long time and we think they’re going to continue to be around for a long time to come,” said Forsling. 

Event organizers anticipate that the Cribbons Readiness Conference will return to Huntsville next November.