After having pushed through a controversial deal to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, the Obama administration is now gearing up to supply the country nine AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, worth $170 million.
The Pentagon has awarded Bell Helicopter the contract to manufacture and deliver the choppers under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The Vipers are expected to be ready for delivery by September 2018.
“Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $170,173,188 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year,” a Defence Department statement said on Monday.
A twin-engine attack helicopter based on AH-1W Cobra, the Bell AH-1Z Viper has a top speed of 420 km per hour and a range of 610 km.
Also called ‘Zulu Cobra’, it was originally developed for the US Marine Corps and features a four-blade, bearingless, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system.
The contract is part of the $952 million military hardware sale to Pakistan notified by the State Department to the US Congress in April last year.
The notification mentioned that Pakistan had requested for 15 Viper choppers, 32 T—700 GE 401C Engines (30 installed and 2 spares), and 1000 AGM—114 R Hellfire II Missiles in containers.
“This proposed sale of helicopters and weapon systems will provide Pakistan with military capabilities in support of its counterterrorism and counter-insurgency operations in South Asia,” the Defence Security Cooperation Agency had said last year.
The AH-1Z Viper, launched in 1996, is one of the most powerful, capable and advanced helicopters in operation currently, reports “Military Today”.
After making its first flight in 2000, the Viper was inducted into the US Marine Corps in 2010. With full scale production commencing in 2012, the Marines are set to receive a total 189 Vipers by 2019, the journal reported.
Using off-the-shelf electronic systems, the Vipers can operate in day, night, or adverse weather conditions. They have “night vision twinned with infrared and new target search and acquisition software” that permit the Viper to find and engage targets at long range.