TSAMTO, May 18. According to Bell Textron Inc., the first series of flight tests of the first AH-1Z attack helicopter intended for the Czech Armed Forces is being completed at the Amarillo assembly center.
As reported by TSAMTO, in May 2019, the US State Department approved the supply of 4 AH-1Z attack helicopters and related equipment to the Czech Republic under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program with a total cost of $205 million. Earlier, in October 2017, the US State Department approved the sale of up to 12 UH-1Y multipurpose helicopters to the Czech Republic under the FMS program with a total cost of up to $575 million.
At the end of 2019, the Czech Ministry of Defense recognized the optimal purchase for the armed forces of a combination of 8 multi-purpose UH-1Y and 4 AH-1Z shock. On December 12, 2019, the Defense Ministers of the United States and the Czech Republic signed a letter with a proposal and acceptance of an offer for the sale of UH-1Y "Venom" and AH-1Z "Viper" helicopters to the Czech Armed Forces. The total cost of the order was about $650 million. It is planned that deliveries should be completed in 2024.
In September 2020, the US Navy signed the first contract with Bell Textron worth $272.161 million for the supply of 8 UH-1Y helicopters and 4 AH-1Z helicopters for the Czech Armed Forces. The assembly of the first AH-1Z began in February 2022.
In the spring of 2022, the Czech Republic and the United States reached an agreement on the transfer of two additional Viper and six Venom in addition to the new UH-1Y and AH-1Z. In May 2023, the US State Department approved the supply of up to $650 million worth of equipment and services necessary for modernization to the Czech Republic under the Foreign Military Sales program. Thus, the Czech Air Force will be armed with 20 American vehicles: 10 multipurpose UH-1Y "Venom" and 10 shock AH-1Z "Viper".
The unification of UH-1Y with AH-1Z is 85%. The helicopters use the same engines, integrated combat system and dynamic components, including a four-bladed main rotor. Both helicopters are specially designed for expeditionary operations.
