The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Czech Republic of AH-1Z and UH-1Y Refurbishment/ Modernization and related equipment for an estimated value of up to $650 million. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded. The Government of the Czech Republic has requested to buy equipment and services to refurbish six (6) AH-1Z and two (2) UH-1Y Excess Defense Article (EDA) helicopters. The Czech Republic will have no difficulty absorbing these defense articles and services into its armed forces. The principal contractors will be Bell Helicopter, Textron, Fort Worth, TX, and General Electric Company, Lynn, MA.
This equipment and services will include: twenty-two (22) T-700 GE 401C engines (16 installed, 6 spares); fourteen (14) Honeywell Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigation Systems (EGIs) w/Precise Positioning Service (PPS) (8 installed, 6 spares); four (4) M240 machine guns; and twenty-four (24) ARC-210 COMSEC radios. Also included is communication equipment; electronic warfare systems; support equipment; spare engine containers; flight training devices; Composite Maintenance trainer; spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The U.S. and Czech Republic recently signed a letter of offer and acceptance formalizing the foreign military sale by Bell of UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters to the Czech Air Force. Included in the deal are four AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and eight UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. They are the most-modern, twin-engine, four-bladed versions of the AH-1 Cobra and UH-1 Huey. Bell anticipates the delivery of the first H-1 aircraft to the Czech Republic will begin in 2023 and be completed by 2024. The deal is part of a larger $1 billion FMS purchase approved by the U.S. State Department in May. The helicopters will be received by the Námešte base as part of the intergovernmental agreement between the Czech Republic and the United State during this spring.
The Czech Republic’s purchase of both the AH-1Z and UH-1Y takes full advantage of the 85 percent commonality between parts and enables full mission capabilities between both aircraft. Reducing the logistics, maintenance, and training costs, while offering a lethal combination of integrated weapons systems to counter ground, air, and maritime targets effectively. The Czech Republic will become the third foreign military sales customer for the UH-1Y/AH-1Z, but the first NATO country to fly the updated Huey and/or Cobra. In total, the H-1 program is on track to produce 217 AH-1Zs and 168 UH-1Ys, with more than 100 consecutive H-1s delivered on time for the USMC and FMS customers. The AH-1Z is the only helicopter in production equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder providing the most advanced air-to-air combat capabilities.