The U.S. State Department approved the estimated $575 million sale of 12 UH-1Y utility helicopters to the Czech Republic, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO partner that is an important force for ensuring peace and stability in Europe,” DSCA said in a press release on Monday, October 23, adding that it “will support the Czech Republic’s needs for its own self-defense and support NATO defense goals.”
The potential sale also includes Honeywell Embedded GPS/INS (EGI), 7.62mm M240 machine guns, Brite Star II FLIR system, Aircraft Survivability Equipment, Joint Mission Planning Systems, Helmet Mounted Displays, communication equipment, small caliber gun systems including GAU-17A miniguns and GAU-21 .50 caliber machine guns, electronic warfare systems, support equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and other related elements of logistics and program support.
Bell Helicopter, Textron and General Electric Company will be the principal contractors for the deal, according to the release.
“This proposed sale of equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” DSCA said.
The Bell UH-1Y Venom, one of the most recent members of the Huey helicopter family and sometimes called the Super Huey, is a twin-engine, medium-sized utility helicopter, built for the U.S. Marine Corps. It entered service in 2008, and was planned to replace the USMC’s fleet of 1970s-vintage UH-1N Twin Huey light utility helicopters, which were retired in 2014.
