"The Lakota is built by a highly skilled workforce, more than half of which are military veterans, at my company's Columbus, Mississippi, helicopter production facility," Sean O'Keefe, chairman and chief executive of EADS North America, said in an opinion article on the Defence News website.
"The Army has decided it's time to end this record of accomplishment next year," O'Keefe said, criticising the across-the-board "sequester" federal budget cuts imposed by Congress.
"The Pentagon budget would do things such as slash its most successful helicopter programme, the UH-72A Lakota, a low-cost program with more than 260 on-time and on-cost deliveries," he said.
The army and National Guard are looking at other measures to fulfill the mission of the UH-72A, developed by EADS's American Eurocopter facility, the CEO said.
More From This Section
"There are signs that they hope to buy more Black Hawk helicopters down the road or take some returning from Afghanistan and repurpose them for the job, aircraft that cost twice as much to maintain and operate."
The Black Hawk is made by US firm Sikorsky.
The US Army in November 2012 confirmed an option to buy 34 UH-72A Lakotas, a deal valued at USD 181.8 million, with deliveries expected to begin in September.
O'Keefe said the Army's decision to wind down the Lakota program "also puts at risk the option of a Lakota variant as the next-generation Armed Aerial Scout."
"This assures that it will keep the inventory of 1960s OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, which cost three times as much to operate and require constant maintenance."
The Army has been considering replacing its inventory of Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters. EADS's Eurocopter is among several companies interested in snaring the contract.