WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2019) US aircraft manufacturer Bell Textron won more than $240 million to build a dozen AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for Bahrain, the Defense Department said in a press release.
"Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $240,266,448 for... for the manufacture and delivery of 12 Lot 16 AH-1Z aircraft for the kingdom of Bahrain," the release said on Thursday.
In January 2018, the US Marine Corps briefly grounded their Viper fleet after one based in Okinawa made a forced landing.
The Bell AH-1Z is a twin-engine combat helicopter designed to meet the expeditionary requirements of the US Marine Corps, according to the company website. The AH-1Z can be equipped with two sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 16 hellfire air-to-ground missiles, and 76 rockets, among other ordnance.
