A file photo of a Bell 505 training helicopter. The Iraqi Army has received seven of the 15 such helicopters it has on order. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
Iraq has received the first of its Bell 505 Jet Ranger X training helicopters that have been ordered under a wider recapitalisation of its rotary-winged assets.
Delivery of the first 505 helicopters to the Iraqi Army Aviation Command (IAAC) was confirmed by Bell officials at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024.
“We just delivered the first seven [of 15] 505 helicopters to the Iraqi Army this week,” Scott Donnelly, CEO and president of Bell's parent company Textron, said on 23 July. He did not say when deliveries will be completed.
The 505 is a relatively new design from Bell, although it incorporates proven dynamic components carried over from the Bell 206 and the Garmin G1000H cockpit from the Bell 407. It has a top speed of 125 kt and a useful load of 680 kg.
Iraq joins Bahrain, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan (deliveries of 10 of which were completed on 24 July), Montenegro, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as military customers of this type. BAR Aviation Uganda also operates the type in a para-public capacity.
For more information on Iraqi Army helicopter plans, please see Iraqi army planning to buy Bell helicopters to replace Russian models .
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