{"id":3826,"date":"2016-04-05T17:51:50","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T17:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/box5917.temp.domains\/~iriacom\/\/news\/?p=3826"},"modified":"2016-05-22T07:34:57","modified_gmt":"2016-05-22T07:34:57","slug":"us-to-sell-nine-ah-1z-viper-helicopters-to-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/us-to-sell-nine-ah-1z-viper-helicopters-to-pakistan\/","title":{"rendered":"US to sell nine AH-1Z Viper helicopters to Pakistan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Bell Helicopter has won a US Navy contract to manufacture nine AH-1Z Viper combat helicopters for Pakistan.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">United States Navy has awarded a $170 million contract for the manufacture and delivery of nine AH-1Z aircraft and nine auxiliary fuel kits for Pakistan, the US Department of Defence said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $170.1 million\u2026 contract for\u00a0the manufacture and delivery of\u00a0nine AH-1Z aircraft\u2026 for\u00a0the government of\u00a0Pakistan,&#8221; the announcement stated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The choppers would be manufactured by <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><a style=\"color: #993300;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bellhelicopter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bell Helicopter<\/a><\/span> Textron Inc in Texas, and are expected to be handed over to Pakistan after September 2018.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cForeign military sales funds in the amount of $170,173,188 will be obligated at time of award,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><a style=\"color: #993300;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.military-today.com\/helicopters\/ah1z_viper.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Bell AH-1Z Viper<\/a><\/span> is a twin-engine attack helicopter and a modern version of the first ever attack helicopter, AH-1 Cobra. It was developed for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The AH-1Z features a four-blade, bearingless, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Pakistan Army has been operating Bell AH-1F\/S Cobra provided by the US since 1980s.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan army is battling an insurgency in the country&#8217;s tribal region near Afghan border. Backed by the Pakistan Air Force, the ground troops have inflicted heavy losses on foreign and local terrorists since the launch of military operation Zarb-e-Azb since June 2015.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In April 2015, the US Department of\u00a0State approved the possible sale to\u00a0Pakistan for\u00a015 AH-1Z Vipers with\u00a0Hellfire missiles and support worth up\u00a0to $952 million.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agency said the F-16s would allow Pakistan\u2019s Air Force to operate in all-weather environments and at night, while improving its self-defense capability and bolstering its ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bell is also interested in\u00a0selling the AH-1Z to\u00a0Poland and the Czech Republic to\u00a0replace their old Soviet-built Mi-24 helicopters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bell Helicopter has won a US Navy contract to manufacture nine AH-1Z Viper combat helicopters for Pakistan. 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