Guard's new 'Lakota' helicopter ready to go

The pilots have spent the past year training and getting their certification.

And now, the Oklahoma National Guard says its four new Lakota helicopters are ready to go on missons.

The Lakotas are getting rave reviews from the pilots, who say it's a big improvement over the 30-year-old Kiowas.

Chief Warrant Officer Chase Rutledge says it's designed for rapid response.

"So we can have the aircraft pulled out and in the air, if we're on standby, within ten minutes," he said.

These Lakotas also have radios that can communicate with any local agency.

The Guard says they'll be used in homeland security, disaster-response, firefighting command-and-control, search-and-rescue, and medical evacuation.