Slovakia approved for US$600 million AH-1Z helicopter order
The US State Department has approved the sale of 12 Bell Textron AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Slovakia under a US$600 million deal which includes missiles, guns and launchers.
Slovakia will join the neighbouring Czech Republic if the order goes ahead along with Pakistan, the US and Bahrain. Nigeria has also been cleared to purchase the platform and a contract placed but deliveries have yet to begin.
As well as the helicopters, the deal includes 26 T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed, 2 spares), 1,680 WGU-59/B Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) and 14 Honeywell embedded global positioning systems/inertial navigation systems (12 installed, 2 spares).
Other systems include Helmet Mounted Display System/Optimized TopOwl, Target Sight Systems and containers, ANVIS-9 night-vision cueing displays, AN/ARC-210 Generation 6 receiver-transmitter 2036 radio equipment and AN/APX-123A identification friend or foe (IFF) Mode 5 systems.
Kinetic weapons approved under the deal include WTU-1B warheads, M-197 20mm armament pod gun assemblies, 20 mm PGU-27A/B target practice rounds and 20 mm PGU-28A/B semi armour piercing high explosive incendiary rounds.
Protection systems include AN/ALE-47 chaff and flare countermeasures systems, MJU-32A/B and MJU-49B decoy flares, SMB875B/ALE flare simulators, AN/AAR-47 missile warning system and AN/APR-39C radar warning receiver and conversion kits.
The AH-1Z Viper is an upgrade to AH-1W and replaces the existing cockpit and drive system with an integrated digital/glass cockpit, four-bladed, all-composite, hingeless, bearingless rotor system, drivetrain, engine, transmission, hydraulics, electrical systems and tail boom.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Greenlight for Romania’s F-35 purchase takes approvals for the decade to almost $35 billion
Romania is set to get the go-ahead for the purchase of F-35s after approval by the US State Department. Challenges before pen is put to paper remain, however, despite US$34.9 billion for 156 F-35s and equipment and systems having been approved to date.
-
Japan cleared for more KC-46A aerial refuelling aircraft under $4.1 billion deal
Japan ordered two KC-46A tanker aircraft under an FMS contract with the US Air Force awarded in December 2017. The deal was increased to six tankers with subsequent orders. Japan has now been approved for up to nine more aircraft.
-
New vision-based navigation integration offers protection to UAS
ESEN has integrated its vision-based navigation system into ArduPilot providing an alternative PNT source for UAS.
-
L3 Technologies awarded $587 million contract for next stage of new Growler jammer
The Next Generation Jammer-Low Band (NGJ-LB) is part of a larger NGJ system that will augment and ultimately replace the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System on the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.
-
BAE Systems wins $4 million in DARPA cash for AI programme
The challenges of getting artificial intelligence into a jet fighter’s cockpit have proved considerable to date. BAE Systems will take a machine-learning approach to the problem.
-
Lockheed Martin and Tata sign Indian C-130J Super Hercules support agreement
India has a requirement for as many as 80 medium transport aircraft and the country already operates 12 C-130J aircraft.