Czech Republic To Buy 4 AH-1Z, 8 UH-1Y Gunships from US

Czech Republic and the United States have signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance finalizing the sale of four AH-1Z and eight UH-1Y helicopters to the former.

"The US Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, and Czech Republic Minister of Defence, Lubomir Metnar, signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance finalizing the foreign military sale by Bell Textron of H-1 helicopters to the Czech Air Force," Bell Flight said in a statement Friday.

The purchase of these military helicopters represents the first foreign military sale of a mixed H-1 fleet. Bell anticipates the delivery of the first H-1 aircraft to the Czech Republic will begin in 2023 and complete delivery by 2024.

The H-1 mixed fleet shares 85-percent commonality between parts, reducing the logistics, maintenance, and training costs of the AH-1Z and UY-1Y helicopters while offering a combination of integrated weapons systems to counter ground, air, and maritime targets effectively. The AH-1Z is the only helicopter in production equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder providing the most advanced air-to-air combat capabilities.

“This mix allows the Czech Republic to accomplish a diverse mission set, from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to close air support and air-to-air warfare,” said Joel Best, Director of Military Sales and Strategy, Europe.