Bahrain will receive 12 Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters by the end of August 2022, under a contract announced by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 7 February.
Bahrain is to receive 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters by the end of August 2022. ((IHS Markit/Patrick Allen))
The USD240.3 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal, which was first reported at the Bahrain Airshow in November 2018, will see the helicopters built under the US military’s Lot 16 production run.
As noted by the US Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) when the procurement was first approved in April 2018, in addition to the 12 AH-1Z helicopters Bahrain is to acquire Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and BAE Systems Advance Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II guided rockets, as well as Thales’ TopOwl helmet-mounted display system.
The total value of the deal, including spares, support, and ancillary equipment, was estimated by the DSCA to be USD911.4 million, with further contracts set to follow this initial award.
The AH-1Z buy is part of a wider revamp of Bahrain’s rotary-winged capabilities occurring in two phases. Phase 1, which is already complete, saw the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) upgrade its fleet of Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. Phase 2 involves procurement of the AH-1Z and potentially also the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) T129 to augment the upgraded Cobras and replace the Eurocopter BO-105 Bolkow platforms that were first delivered in 1978.
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