Bahrain completes attack helicopter fleet renewal
Bell's AH-1Z rotorcraft at the Amarillo Assembly Center, awaiting delivery to Bahrain.
Bell has completed the contract for 12 AH-1Z rotorcraft for delivery to Bahrain.
Bell Textron has announced it completed delivery of the final AH-1Z aircraft to Naval Air Systems Command in December 2022, with delivery to Bahrain scheduled in 2023.
This milestone concluded of a programme of record for the delivery of a total of 12 aircraft to the Gulf state.
The first aircraft delivered made their in-country debut during the Bahrain Air Show. So far, six have arrived in-country.
The completion of the Bahraini contract follows Bell’s completion of a contract for the USMC, demonstrating existing confidence in the system.
The AH-1Z programme is a major development of the AH-1W. The first -1Z achieved IOC in February 2011, and by 2020, all AH-1W Super Cobras in the USMC inventory had been upgraded to this standard.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, Bahrain signed the contract to procure 12 AH-1Zs in November 2018 with an estimated value of $240 million.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Air Warfare
-
![“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform]()
“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
-
![Bell selected over Boeing to build DARPA SPRINT X-Plane]()
Bell selected over Boeing to build DARPA SPRINT X-Plane
The programme first began in 2023 with Bell and Boeing’s concepts progressing to Phase 1B, in which testing has been carried out over the last year.
-
![National Audit Office report highlights major delays in UK’s F-35 programme]()
National Audit Office report highlights major delays in UK’s F-35 programme
The report discloses that while the capability provided by the F-35 is superior to previous UK aircraft, delays from the UK Ministry of Defence on the programme have significantly impacted the country’s warfighting capabilities.
-
![France and UK to resume and upgrade Storm Shadow/SCALP production]()
France and UK to resume and upgrade Storm Shadow/SCALP production
The new ‘Entente Industrielle’ will work on a range of other projects to boost the UK economy and defence industry, including joint development on new high-tech frequency weapons and extended range air-to-air missiles.
-
![Boeing E-7A still in South Korean AEW&C competition, despite dropout reports]()
Boeing E-7A still in South Korean AEW&C competition, despite dropout reports
The E-7A is one of three aircraft submitted for the South Korean AEW&C II competition, which seeks to acquire four more aircraft of the type for its air force by 2028.
