The US authorities will donate a complete of eight Bell AH-1Z Viper assault and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters to the Czech Republic, growing Prague’s whole H-1 fleet to twenty plane. The brand new rotorcraft are set to interchange outdated Soviet Mi-35/24Vs, eight of which have been in service since 2003. The donation from the US will see six Vipers and two Venoms handed over with Prague solely required to pay for plane repairs or modifications relying on mission necessities and switch from the US. Affirmation of the transfer was supplied by Jana Cernochova, the Czech Republic’s minister of defence, throughout a go to to the twenty fourth Air Transport Base, Prague-Kbely on 19 August.
The Vipers and Venoms can be becoming a member of eight newly-built Viper and Venom helicopters constructed below a 2020 contract with Bell value round $506 million. The Czech Republic’s buy of each the AH-1Z and UH-1Y takes full benefit of the 85 p.c commonality between elements and enabling full mission capabilities between each plane. The UH-1Y and AH-1Z share the identical engines, built-in mission system and dynamic elements, such because the four-bladed rotor system. The primary of the brand new helicopters is anticipated to be handed over in 2023, with deliveries set to finish by 2024. The Czech Republic may also be receiving Hellfire and Sidewinder missiles for the helicopters.
Commercial
The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine assault helicopter, based mostly on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace producer Bell Helicopter. Being one of many newest members of the prolific Bell Huey household, it is usually referred to as “Zulu Cobra”, based mostly on the navy phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter. The AH-1Z is supplied with a pair of stub wings for a missile such because the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Every stub wing has two different stations for two.75-inch (70 mm) Hydra 70 rocket pods, or AGM-114 Hellfire quad missile launchers. The AN/APG-78 Longbow hearth management radar may also be mounted on a wingtip station.
The Bell UH-1Y Venom (additionally referred to as Tremendous Huey) is a twin-engine, medium-sized utility helicopter constructed by Bell Helicopter below the H-1 improve program of america Marine Corps. One of many newest members of the quite a few Huey household, the UH-1Y can be referred to as “Yankee”, based mostly on the NATO phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter. The UH-1Y variant modernizes the UH-1 design. The Y-model upgrades pilot avionics to a glass cockpit, and supplies the UH-1 with a contemporary forward-looking infrared system. Its most noticeable improve over earlier variants is a four-blade, all-composite rotor system designed to resist as much as 23 mm rounds.
