After it was announced at the end of last year that the Czech Republic wanted to purchase eight UH-1Y Huey aircraft and four AH-1Z Cobra aircraft from Bell as part of a government-to-government deal, the contract has now become legally effective.
The Czech army intends to use the aircraft to replace its Soviet- and Russian-built Mil Mi-24s, making it the first foreign military operator of a mixed fleet of UH-1Ys and AH-1Zs, according to Bell. Due to many identical parts, the two types are expected to offer considerable savings in logistics, maintenance and training. The aircraft are to be delivered at a fixed price of 250 million euros in 2023 and 2024, with the necessary work being carried out in Fort Worth (TX) and Amarillo (TX).
The contract does not include armament, ammunition, spare parts and training components for pilots and service personnel – including these items, the procurement costs rise to around 580 million euros, according to the Czech government.
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