US Approves Sale of 12 Bell AH-1Z Attack Helicopters to Bahrain for $911 Million

The US State Department has approved sale of 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters to Bahrain for an estimated cost of $911.4 million. 

The Government of Bahrain has requested 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, 26 T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed and two spares), 14 AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles, and 56 Advance Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS-II) WGU-59Bs, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement Friday.

This request also includes 15 Honeywell Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) Inertial Navigation System (INS) (EGI) w/Standard Positioning Service (SPS) (including three spares), 12 Joint Mission Planning Systems, 12 M197 20mm gun systems, 30 Tech Refresh Mission Computers, 14 AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight Systems, 26 Helmet Mounted Display/Optimized Top Owl, communication equipment, electronic warfare systems, 15 APX-117 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), 15 AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems, 15 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispenser Sets, 15 APR-39C(V)2 Radar Warning Receivers, support equipment, spare engine containers, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, US government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support.  The total estimated cost is $911.4 million.

The principal contractors will be Bell Helicopter, Textron and General Electric.