TSAMTO, September 29. Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has started flight tests of the first AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter designed for the Bahrain Air Force.
According to Scramble Magazine, a helicopter with serial number 2200 was spotted on September 27 during a test flight at Rick Hasband Amarillo International Airport (pcs.Texas). The photos are posted on the Amarillo Aviation page.
As previously reported by CAMTO, an agreement on the sale of about $ 10 billion worth of weapons to the Bahraini Armed Forces, including AH-1Z helicopters, was reached during the visit of Crown Prince of Bahrain Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to Washington in November 2017.
On April 27, 2018, the US State Department approved the delivery to Bahrain under the Foreign Military Sales program of 12 AH-1Z VIPER attack helicopters, related weapons (AGM-114 Hellfire ATGM, WGU-59B APKWS-II missiles, 20 mm M197 cannons), equipment (AN/AAQ-30 TSS sighting optoelectronic complexes, Optimized Top Owl helmet-mounted targeting systems, communications and electronic warfare systems state recognition "friend-foe" APX-117, etc.), training equipment and services with a total cost of up to $ 911.4 million.
The first contract worth $240.266 million for the supply of 12 AH-1Z Viper helicopters for the Bahrain Armed Forces was signed by the US Defense Ministry with Bell Helicopter Textron in February 2019. Bahrain will be the first foreign country to receive helicopters of this type.
According to Bell, helicopter deliveries will begin at the end of 2021. All work under the contract is scheduled to be completed in August 2022.
Currently, the Bahrain Air Force has about 30 AH-1E/F/P "Cobra" helicopters of the previous generation in two squadrons stationed at the Riffa Air Base. The purchase of the AH-1Z is part of a broader program to modernize the helicopter fleet of the Armed Forces of Bahrain.
