WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defence has awarded a $57 million contract to Bell Helicopter to provide Ah-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Pakistan.

The deal is part of a larger $581 million contract, most of which goes to the US Navy. The contract covers the manufacture and delivery of 15 Lot 12 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters, 19 Lot 12 AH-1Zs, one Lot 13 UH-1Y, and 21 auxiliary fuel kits for the government of Pakistan. Some of these initial helicopters will be delivered by the end of August 2018.

Although Pakistan had requested the sale of 15 AH-1Z helicopters in April, it is not clear how many of the 15 helicopters have been signed for at this stage.

A notification by the US Department of Defence stated that 10 per cent ($57.9 million) of the overall contract value covered the sale to the government of Pakistan which suggests that this is an initial deal for the first two helicopters only, with contracts for the remaining 13 (plus spares and support) to follow.

The original US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notification of Pakistan’s request included 1,000 AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles for “a precision-strike, enhanced-survivability aircraft that can operate at high altitudes”.

The AH-1Z and Hellfire II capability will enhance Pakistan’s capability to conduct all-weather, day and night operations in remote mountainous areas.

Recently, Pakistan also signed an agreement with Russia to purchase MI-35 ‘Hind’ attack helicopters.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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