Th? Unit?? St?t?s h?s ?????v?? th? ??t?nti?l s?l? t? B?h??in ?? 12 B?ll AH-1Z Vi??? ?tt?ck h?lic??t??s ?t ?n ?stim?t?? c?st ?? $911.4 milli?n, incl??in? s????s, s?????t, w????ns ?n? t??inin?. J?n L?k? ?????ts.

US B?ll AH-1Z Vi??? H?lic??t?? Th? AH-1Z Vi??? is th? l?t?st in ? l?n? lin? ?? C???? v??i?nts ?n? w?s th? ??s?lt ?? ?n H-1 h?lic??t?? ??????? ??????mm? ??? th? US M??in? C???s, l??nch?? in 1996.

It h?s 85% c?mm?n?lit? with th? ???????? UH-1Y ?tilit? h?lic??t??.

Th? US M??in? C???s ??????? 189 AH-1Zs ?n? ??liv??i?s will c?ntin?? ?ntil 2022.

Th? R???l B?h??ini Ai? F??c? (RBAF) is ?n???t?kin? ? tw?-st?? ??c??it?lis?ti?n ?? its ?tt?ck/int?lli??nc?, s??v?ill?nc?, ?n? ??c?nn?iss?nc? (ISR) h?lic??t?? ???c?, which ???s?ntl? c?nsists ?? 22 B?ll AH-1E/F C????s, ?i?ht AH-1Ps ?n? ???? s??vivin? B?lk?w BO-105 sc??t h?lic??t??s th?t w??? ?i?st ??liv???? in 1978.

B?h??in c?mmissi?n?? T??kish A???s??c? In??st?i?s (TAI) ?n? T??k??’s ?vi?nic/missi?n c?m??t?? m?n???ct???? instit?t?, As?ls?n, t? ??????? th? C????s, int????tin? th? missi?n c?m??t?? ?n? s?m? ?vi?nics ???m T??k??’s T-129 At?k h?lic??t??, ?n? t? int????t? s?m? R?k?ts?n w????ns, incl??in? th? Ci?it 2.75inch ??ck?t.

N?w ?tt?ck h?lic??t??s will ???m?nt th? ???????? C????s ?n? th? B?-105s will ?? ??ti??? ?n??? th? s?c?n? ?h?s? ?? th? ??????mm?. Initi?ll?, it l??k?? lik?l? th?t B?h??in w??l? s?l?ct th? TAI T129 ?s its n?w ?tt?ck h?lic??t??. H?w?v??, th? kin???m s??mitt?? ? ?????st ??? in???m?ti?n (RFI) ??? th? B?ll AH-1Z C???? Vi??? in 2016.

On A??il 27 2018, th? US D???ns? S?c??it? C??????ti?n A??nc? (DSCA) ?nn??nc?? th?t th? St?t? D????tm?nt h?? ?????v?? th? B?h??ini ???ch?s? ?? 12 AH-1Z h?lic??t??s.

B?h??in’s s?l?cti?n ?? th? B?ll AH-1Z is ??li?v?? t? h?v? ???n in?l??nc?? ?? th? ????ctiv?n?ss ?? th? ?i?c???t’s t????t si?ht s?st?m, which is cl?im?? t? ???vi?? th? l?n??st ??n?? ?n? hi?h?st ?cc???c? ?? ?n? h?lic??t?? w????ns si?ht. Th? Vi??? ?ls? ???t???s ? ??ll? int????t?? ?i?-t?-?i? missil? c????ilit?.

Th? AH-1Z’s m??inis?ti?n ???vi??s ?s???l ???t?cti?n in ??s??t ?nvi??nm?nts ?n? th? t??? ???vi??s ??vi??s int????????ilit? ??n??its with B?h??in’s US ?ll?.

Th? B?h??ini ?i?c???t will ?? s???li?? with 26 Th?l?s T??Owl h?lm?t-m??nt?? ?is?l?? s?st?ms, 26 T-700 GE 401C ?n?in?s (24 inst?ll?? ?n? 2 s????s), 12 M197 20mm ??n s?st?ms, 14 AN/AAQ-30 t????t si?ht s?st?ms, 15 ?m?????? ?l???l ??siti?nin?/in??ti?l n?vi??ti?n s?st?ms (EGIs), 30 t?ch ?????sh missi?n c?m??t??s, 15 APX-117 i??nti?ic?ti?n ??i?n? ?? ??? (IFF) s?st?ms, 15 AN/AAR-47 missil? w??nin? s?st?ms, 15 AN/ALE-47 c??nt??m??s??? ?is??ns?? s?ts, ?n? 15 APR-39C(V)2 ????? w??nin? ??c?iv??s. Th? ?????s?? ??ck??? ?ls? incl???s 12 j?int missi?n ?l?nnin? s?st?ms, ?l?s v??i??s s????s, t??inin? ?n? s?????t ??ck???s, t?chnic?l ??t? ?n? ???lic?ti?ns.

W????ns incl??? L?ckh??? M??tin AGM-114 H?ll?i?? ?i?-t?-s????c? missil?s ?n? BAE S?st?ms ??v?nc? ???cisi?n kill w????n s?st?m (APKWS) II ??i??? ??ck?ts.

N?t ?v????n? w?s h???? ????t th? ?????s?? ?tt?ck h?lic??t?? s?l?. Th? h?m?n ?i?hts ?????, Am??ic?ns ??? D?m?c??c? & H?m?n Ri?hts in B?h??in, c?ll?? ???n th? US C?n???ss t? ?l?ck th? s?l? in th? w?k? ?? th? ???im?’s h??v?-h?n??? s?????ssi?n ?? ??litic?l ?issi??nts ?n? ???-??m?c??c? c?m??i?n??s, n?tin? th? US St?t? D????tm?nt’s ?????t ?? “? wi??s????? h?m?n ?i?hts c?isis in B?h??in”. Th? ????? s?i? th?t th? T??m? ??minist??ti?n w?s ????ctiv?l? ??w???in? th? B?h??ini milit??? ??? vi?l?tin? int??n?ti?n?l l?w.

I? ?n? wh?n c?ncl????, th? B?h??ini C???? ???l will m??k th? s?c?n? ?x???t s?l? ?? th? AH-1Z Vi???, with P?kist?n h?vin? c?mmitt?? t? ?c??i?? 12 ?x?m?l?s.

At ?n? tim?, J????n s??m?? t? ?? ? ??t?nti?l AH-1Z c?st?m??, ??t is inst??? ??????in? 12 ?l???, sin?l?-?n?in?? AH-1Fs t? wh?t h?s ???n ???????? t? ?s ?n “AH-1Z Lit?” ??nshi? c?n?i????ti?n.

N??th??? G??mm?n is ?v??s??in? th? ??si?n ?n? int????ti?n ?? th? ?vi?nics s?l?ti?n, whil? Sci?nc? & En?in???in? S??vic?s (SES) is ??wi?in? ?n? ??c?n?iti?nin? th? ?i?c???t ??? 20 m??? ????s in s??vic?.

Th? ???????? ?i?c???t will ???t??? ? n?w L3 W?sc?m MX-15D s?ns?? t????t in ?l?c? ?? th? ??i?in?l t?l?sc??ic si?ht ?nit, with ?l?ct??-??tic?l ?n? in?????? c?m???s, ?n? ? l?s?? ??si?n?t??.

Th? ?i?c???t will inc??????t? th? s?m? N??th??? G??mm?n int????t?? missi?n ???i?m?nt ??ck??? (iMEP) ?vi?nics s?st?m ?s th? AH-1Z, inc??????tin? ? Fli?htP?? G?n III missi?n c?m??t??, ?n? l???? ?l?t ??n?l li??i?-c??st?l ?is?l?? (LCD) m?lti??ncti?n ?is?l??s, ?s w?ll ?s n?w w????ns ?n? ????nsiv? s?st?ms.

Th? R???l J????ni?n Ai? F??c? h?s t?k?n ??liv??? ?? tw? ?? th? ????t?? ??nshi?s ???m SES ??? w????ns t?stin? ?n? ?in?l ?cc??t?nc? ch?cks.

Th? ??????mm? ???ic? h?s ?????t?? int???st in th? AH-1Z ???m th? UAE, A?st??li?, B??zil, C???ti?, th? Cz?ch R????lic, J???n, M?l??si?, P?l?n? ?n? Th?il?n?, ?s w?ll ?s B?h??in.